Patrick Snell<\/a> about playing alone. \u201cOnce you kind of get over the fact that they just announced one person on the first hole, it\u2019s kind of more like a practice round. We play a lot of practice rounds just on my own. Yeah, I felt like, especially with it going well, it was really easy to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\nIt\u2019s a feeling that golfers both love and loathe \u2013 the feeling of getting on a heater while playing as a single. On one hand, there\u2019s the nice rhythm Young mentioned and the feeling of confidence it brings. On the other hand, there\u2019s the nagging thought that no one will believe the final scorecard because there wasn\u2019t someone around to witness it.<\/p>\n
The latter issue was not a problem for Young on Friday as his gallery grew and grew as he blazed around the scenic 18 holes at this exclusive Atlanta country club. By the time he got to the 18th green and his putt hit the bottom of the cup, the roar could be heard across the grounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes it easier because you\u2019re not waiting on anybody. You kind of just like \u2013 you just keep going. You don\u2019t do anything that isn\u2019t at your own pace. You\u2019re never waiting. You\u2019re never rushing. In that sense, it\u2019s pretty nice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Young\u2019s 62 was enough to put him into the clubhouse lead, a spot he didn\u2019t expect to hold for long given that other players were still on the course and East Lake was yielding birdies left and right. But for a few moments, it was a nice respite from a frustrating few weeks.<\/p>\n
The native New Yorker told reporters after the round that he\u2019s been upset with himself for four or five weeks because he\u2019s fallen off the blistering pace he set at the beginning of the season. He won twice \u2013 at The Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship \u2013 and had six other top-10 finishes, including second place at the British Open and third at the Masters.<\/p>\n
But the last few weeks have been tough on Young, finishing way out of the running three weeks in a row. That rut continued when he started on Thursday and bogeyed three of the first five holes.<\/p>\n
The weird situation of playing alone at a tournament for the first time was a welcome change of pace.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a mental perspective, good golf fixes just about everything,\u201d he said. \u201cPlaying by yourself, it\u2019s strange for a second. Kind of when you see the pairing, it\u2019s strange; and then once you get into it, like I said, you don\u2019t have to wait. You don\u2019t have to rush. You can kind of just do everything you\u2019d like to do the whole day. So, it\u2019s easy in that sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a while, it looked like Young might be able to reach golf\u2019s hallowed mark of breaking 60 and shooting a 59 \u2013 something he admitted to having crossed his mind while on the course. \u201cWe all think about that. You have thoughts that enter your mind, and you have to think about them,\u201d he admitted. A wayward approach shot on 12 found a bunker, leading to that bogey.<\/p>\n
Still, a 62 was enough to put him back where he likes to be: Near the top of the leaderboard. And while his prediction that he wouldn\u2019t be in first long came true \u2013 he was joined at 8-under quickly as the second round of this season-ending tournament continued \u2013 he\u2019s at least in contention.<\/p>\n
Safe to say that he won\u2019t have another lonely round the rest of the way.<\/p>\n
The-CNN-Wire
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