Gary Hurley’s step and hit action has been working well so far at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final and he hopes he can marry it with some more putts as he eyes a weekend charge at Club de Golf Alcanada.
Hurley’s quick feet on the tee has caught the eye where he takes his address position a couple of feet behind the golf ball and as he swings back he steps back and then steps forward during impact.
It is an unusual action and it’s certainly something buried deep within the Pádraig Harrington handbook but Hurley has swung with an effortless rhythm including launching a drive straight at the pin on the 298 yard par-4 15th that may have threatened the hole had it not been for an unfortunate first bounce.
“It’s just a step drill I started doing last week and especially with the longer clubs the dispersion comes in quite a lot so as long as I am comfortable doing it I said I would try it. Did it in the practice rounds and it was OK, Thursday it was fine and did it again today,” said The West Waterford man.
“Another yard and it would have had a chance to go in! It hit that Bermuda rough and sat down I’m driving it pretty nice.
“He does it slightly different I suppose, mine is a bit of an extreme version. I step back and step in, he does it for power I think, I’m doing it for my sequence in my swing. It’s helping but these things come and go all the time but I’m sticking with it.”
Hurley would have liked to have rolled in a few more birdie putts but he did chip in on the sixth hole on his way to a three-under round of 69 to leave him in a share of 13th place on five-under albeit twelve shots behind Angel Ayora.
“Steadier yeah I felt like I played a little bit better yesterday but I am happy with it,” reflected the 31-year-old who opened with a bogey on the first but rallied with four birdies in a blemish free 17 holes.
“I haven’t holed any putts in two days really but I feel if I can get the putter going and keep doing what I’m doing there are some scores out there for me.
“I’m struggling to see the line, I feel like I am reading them OK, yesterday was a speed issue but I am struggling to see the ball tracing a line to the hole which is not usually common with me, putting is usually a strength of my game. I’ not worried about it, I holed some nice short range ones today, it’s not all bad, hit some nice putts just got to be patient.
“It’s decent I’m keeping the ball in play, hitting some nice shots close, hitting some average shots just kind of a mixed bag and staying in it.”
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