SMOTHERMAN’S SURGE & THE AGRONOMY WAR - February 28th, 2026

We break down Round 2 at PGA National where Austin Smotherman built a three-shot lead amidst a heated debate over course conditions and a resurgence from Brooks Koepka.THE ARTIST ON THE GREENSAustin Smotherman holds a commanding three-shot lead at 11-under, fueled by a "nothing to lose" mindset as he awaits the birth of his child on March 23rd. In a unique equipment tweak, he removed the alignment line from his ball to stop calculating and start being an "artist" on the putting surface.THE AGRONOMY WARSTensions flared regarding the course setup, with Billy Horschel and Shane Lowry criticizing the Ryegrass overseed. The duo argued the soft conditions are designed to look "pretty for TV" rather than maintaining the firm, competitive integrity usually demanded by the Bear Trap.BROOKS BATTLES BACKBrooks Koepka rallied to get inside the cut line at 2-under following a technical fix to his hand position. Despite a bizarre injury caused by his son’s hockey stick, Koepka remained defiant about his goals, stating, "If I am out here to try to make cuts I am probably done."THE CHASING PACK & CUT LINE DRAMATaylor Moore (-8) and local Barry University alum A.J. Ewart (-7) are leading the chase. The cut line provided its own theater, with alternate Ben Silverman surviving and Dylan Wu draining a massive eagle on the 18th hole to secure his weekend spot.Quick HitsIsaiah Salinda goes shirtless in the water • Smylie Kaufman’s "Adrian Peterson" crow call • A.J. Ewart representing the locals Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.