Playing again this week
Brendan Steele fired a 6-under-par 68-72-72-66 — 378 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico last week to tie for 41st place in the rain-delayed Mayakoba Golf Classic on the PGA Tour.
The Idyllwild native posted one eagle and 18 birdies against 12 bogeys and a double, including a string of four consecutive birdies on his closing nine holes in during Sunday’s 36-hole final day.
Steele’s statistics for the week showed drives averaging 292 yards that found 68% of the fairways. He hit 72% of the greens in regulation while gaining an average of 1.673 strokes against the field each round with his putter.
His putting was particularly encouraging for its consistency — in every round he gained well more than a stroke against the field, which has been a troublesome stat category for him.
Steele will play again this week in the $6.6-million RSM Classic on the seaside course at the Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, the largest of Georgia’s Golden Isles. He’ll play the first two rounds with Michael Kim and Kevin Chappell, teeing off Thursday at 7:45 a.m. PDT and Friday at 6:35 a.m. PDT.