Cancer victim Morris lives out PGA Tour dream
HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Brian Morris lived out his dream as he played the first two rounds of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at the par-71 Port Royal Golf Course in the western parish of Southampton on Friday.
The 54-year-old Bermudian left-hander, head professional at the island’s Ocean View Golf Club, who has terminal brain cancer, was handed the chance to make his PGA Tour debut on a sponsor exemption.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus was among those who sent Morris best wishes before he teed off on Thursday afternoon.
But, along with three other Bermudian professionals, Michael Sims, Camiko Smith, and Chaka DeSilva, plus local amateur Damian Palanyandi in the 126-strong field, Morris did not make the halfway cut.
Cheered on by family and friends, Morris completed the first two rounds before finishing last on 39-over 181.
Morris was 15-over with three holes left to play when the bad light forced the players off the course on the first evening after a day of brutal winds.
“I’m disappointed with the way I played because I didn’t play the way that I can play or the way I should play,” he said after day one.
“It all comes down to I didn’t realise how nervous you get out there. I didn’t think I was going to get that, but I did.”
After signing off on Friday, which saw more benign conditions, Morris added: “It’s been such an amazing journey and I’ll probably never experience this again.
“When I check out, I will always have one PGA Tour start next to my name and that’s pretty cool. You can’t take that from me, regardless how I did.”
Local professional Smith shared some of the spotlight after equalling a tournament record during the second round, shooting a bogey-free six-under 29 on the back nine to become only the third player to achieve the feat in the tournament’s history.
Americans Scottie Scheffler (2019) and Doc Redman (2020) are the others to have shot 29 on the back nine at Port Royal.
The halfway leader is Taylor Pendrith, a 30-year-old Canadian, who fired a record-breaking 10-under 61 on Friday to hold a one-stroke lead on 11-under 131 ahead of Americans Patrick Rodgers (132) and Vincent Whaley (133).
Among those a further shot back on 134 is Englishman David Skinns, who finally earned his PGA Tour card at the age of 39.
