Double P :: The Official Blog

Courtesy of PGATour.com:

"Changes in attitude, approach aid Perez through two rounds"
by Helen Ross, PGATour.com Chief of Correspondents

SCOTTSDALE -Pat Perez's ambivalence Friday was somewhat understandable.

After all, he missed the cut the first six times he played in what is now known as the Waste Management Phoenix Open. And a tie for 43rd in 2008 is the best Perez has done in the two years he survived to play the weekend.

So while he was pleased to be 9 under at the midway point of this year's event, Perez acted like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop when he met with the media after his round of 68.

"I've got two days left," Perez said bluntly with a shrug when asked about his comfort zone. "I've never had success over the weekend here, so I don't know what to expect."

Perez went to school in nearby Tempe at Arizona State and settled in Scottsdale after turning pro in 1997. But while he's enjoying sleeping in his own bed this week, you won't find him playing any extra practice rounds at TPC Scottsdale during the year.

"The course just doesn't fit my eye," Perez explained. " ... You never see these pins; you never see the greens this fast; you don't get the rough. ... The course is never in the condition you see it right now. Between the wind and the shape of the holes and where they put the pins, I just don't see the shots."

Friday's round marked just the ninth time in 20 competitive rounds that Perez had broken par at TPC Scottsdale. He had sole possession of the lead when he made birdie on the 17th hole -- notching his fourth in his last five holes -- but he played his next 10 holes in 1 over to finish with the 68.

"Good on the back nine, not so good on the front nine," Perez said. "But you know, that front nine is usually how I play all 18. So pretty happy where I'm at right now. ... I'm usually missing the cut here."

So what changed this week for Perez, who won the Bob Hope Classic last year? A lot. He put KSB shafts in his TaylorMade irons to keep the ball low and he went from putting crosshanded with an Odyssey putter to conventional with a Scotty Cameron.

"Those two little things," Perez said, chuckling. " ... I just kept bitching and bitching about not being a consistent enough putter to play well out here. I have my weeks where they're decent, but as a whole I'm just not that great of a putter.

"(My coach) said, well, you need to go conventional. You need to get your head behind the ball and you need to get squared up. I said, whatever, I'll try it, see how it goes. He came out here, we played on Sunday and it was pretty good. Each day it's just gotten a little more comfortable. I feel great on the greens, I just don't feel that good over the shots."

Perez and his houseguest, Ian Poulter, will have a lot of talk about Friday night. Poulter, who is running on fumes after winning last week's World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, fired a 63 on Friday to move to 7 under.

They'll both have a chance to pick up their second TOUR wins on Sunday -- the day before Perez celebrates his 34th birthday.

"I keep seeing these low scores year in and year out, and I keep thinking why in the hell can't I shoot that score?" Perez said. "It's desert golf. I know desert golf as good as anybody. I play it every day. Why can't I play this course well? So it's actually been fun to see putts go in and see shots go where I think they're supposed to go, and that kind of stuff.

"Yeah, it's been nice. We'll see how nice it is on Sunday, but we'll see."

Pat Perez carded a second round 68 on Friday, after a blazing opening round 65. Nine under after thirty-six, Perez is currently in third place after ten birdies in two days, none more impressive than this 81-footer on the 17th.

A solid birdie putt on the 18th en route to an opening round 65 at the Phoenix Open.

Some images from Pebble Beach.

... up in LA this week for the Northern Trust. Looking forward to it as I love playing Riviera.

Got in a few holes at Brentwood yesterday with some buds and hanging with TA3 as he's headed to the Champions Tour next week and were not going to catch up as much. We've had a great run out here the better part of this decade, especially here in LA. Grabbed dinner at Dan Tana's last night and will catch up a few more times before he's Florida-bound.

Looking forward to what I hope is good week here. Been a long stretch with two weeks in Hawaii, the desert, San Diego and now LA. Pebble next week and then some downtime before the Phoenix Open and Florida stretch.

It's been a good run early on this season, outside of my putting. Once I get that dialed in, I'll be right where I need to be.

Headed out to the course for a practice round and will check in again soon. - P.P.