2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship: John Daly among pros who have the weekend off

Sometimes, good golf isn’t good enough to make the cut on the PGA Tour.

Take this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. There were two players who didn’t complete the second round on Friday due to play being suspended for darkness (delaying the inevitable for many), but it looked as if shooting two rounds totaling 5-under 137 at Port Royal in Southampton, Bermuda, only got pros an attaboy and thanks for coming. In other words, there will be no paycheck for their work.

Indeed, it took a minimum of 6 under to know you’d have weekend plans. As the old tagline goes, these guys are good.

Of those who survived the 36-hole cut, none may be happier than Scott Gutschewski, who is making his final start on a major-medical extension. The 46-year-old journeyman pro shot 1-under 70 to improve to 7-under 135 to keep alive his hopes of retaining his card. He needs a solo fourth or better to satisfy his medical or a two-way tie for 38th or better to continue playing in the Nos. 126-150 category.

Here are some notables who weren’t so fortunate.

Butterfield Bermuda: Leaderboard | Photos

John Daly (5 over)

John Daly plays his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Daly, 56, was playing in Bermuda on a sponsors exemption and the crowd favorite made six birdies over his 36 holes. Unfortunately, there were a few too many dropped shots and he’s heading home after rounds of 71-76.

On Friday, Daly’s hopes of making the weekend faded quickly: he opened with back-to-back double bogeys and was 5 over through his first four holes. Daly hit just 12 of 28 fairways and ranked 127th of 132 in putting.

Daly hasn’t made a cut on the PGA Tour in his last nine starts dating to the 2019 Barracuda Championship.

Willie Mack III (3 under)

Willie Mack III plays his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Willie Mack III earned his way into this week’s PGA Tour event by winning an APGA Tour event on the same course a week earlier. A spot in the weekend appeared in his grasp after shooting 4-under 67 on Thursday. He was straddling the cutline on Friday, 1 under for the day and 5 under overall when he made a double-bogey 7 at the short par-5 7th hole. Two pars later and Mack was signing for 1-over 73 and a missed cut in his first start of the new season on Tour.

Harry Higgs (3 under)

Harry Higgs of the United States plays his shot from the first tee during the second round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 28, 2022 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Higgs was just two shots off the lead after an opening-round 64 and talked about how he’s been struggling with his game. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite turned the corner yet. Three bogeys and a double in a five-hole stretch beginning at No. 11 sealed his fate. He finished with a pair of birdies but it was too little, too late: 4-over 75 and sent packing.

When Higgs reviews what went wrong in the second round, he should start with his scrambling. He failed to get up and down in six attempts. That’s a recipe for a missed cut.

Luke Donald (1 over)

Luke Donald of England plays his shot from the tenth tee during the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 27, 2022 in Southampton, . (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

The European Ryder Cup Captain had three sixes on Friday, a decent poker hand but not decorating his scorecard. He made a double bogey on each side and bogeyed a par 5 en route to shooting 1-over 72 and missing the cut at his season-opening event on the PGA Tour.

Story originally appeared on GolfWeek