Lack of birdies over closing stretch of marathon day of golf means Guthrie will miss Korn Ferry cut

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A marathon day of golf Friday at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Memorial Hospital Championship couldn’t have started any better for Quincy native Luke Guthrie.

The ending wasn’t quite as promising.

Forced to play only four holes in Thursday’s opening round before darkness set in due to a five-hour weather delay, Guthrie returned to Panther Creek Country Club and promptly birdied his first hole — the par-3 fifth. It led to a round of 3-under 68 and put Guthrie within reach of the projected cutline.

However, he began his second round following a roughly 30-minute break and couldn’t make enough birdies to get to the weekend. Guthrie played his final 11 holes at even par, making one birdie and carding one bogey to shoot a 1-under 70 and finish at 4-under 138 and tied for 95th.

Play was suspended with seven groups yet to finish their final nine in the second round, but the cutline currently sits at 6-under, which means Guthrie’s first Korn Ferry event of the season is finished after 36 holes.

Had it not been for the par-4 eighth hole and the par-4 12th, things might have been different.

Guthrie bogeys both holes in both rounds. On No. 8, he found the water hazard in the first round and was forced to take a drop after an errant tee shot in the second round. On No. 12, he missed the green in the first round and was unable to navigate finding a fairway bunker in the second round.

Guthrie’s overall stats mirrored his finish. He hit 19 of 28 fairways, which tied for 83rd in the 154-player field, and he made 26 of 36 greens in regulation, which tied for 94th.

Paul Barjon and Martin Contini share the lead at 15-under.