Billy Davis, Jr. (Twitter)
Billy Davis backed up his opening 71 with a second-round 71 in the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal to finish at 2-under par for the tournament.
The round started auspiciously for the 17-year-old with back-to-back birdies on Friday morning. It was a phenomenal bounce back after Davis finished with three straight bogeys in his opening round.
The quick start, getting Davis to 3-under par, gave Davis a glimmer of a chance that he could make the cut, which is projected at 4-under par. However, two bogeys and a double bogey before he made the turn left Davis behind the eight ball. Even though Davis won't make the cut, he finished the second round with some steady golf, as he played his final ten holes in 2-under par.
Davis, who is the twin brother of 2022 August National Women's Amateur champion Anna Davis, made nine birdies in 36 holes. He hit all 28 fairways and hit 25 of 36 greens.
He'll attend Auburn, along with his sister Anna, next fall.
ROUND ONE RECAPBilly Davis opened his PGA Tour debut with a birdie on his very first hole in the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal in Los Cabos, Mexico. Add in the fact that this course was designed by Tiger Woods, and the memories continue to pile up for the 17-year-old from San Diego, California.
"He was locked in from the start," Dan Sivadge, Davis' caddie, said via text to Amateur Golf.
Davis, who qualified for the tournament in a Monday Qualifier where he needed to beat former college standout RJ Manke in a playoff for the final spot, didn't want to make a big deal about his first appearance in the PGA Tour.
"Honestly, I am just going to treat it like it's another junior tournament," Davis said. "Everyone is really good, so I am just going to try to be a sponge and enjoy myself and soak it all in. My expectations won't be that high, but I am going to try and compete and make the cut."
The Auburn commit might have had some butterflies, but they didn't show during his opening nine holes. Davis didn't just birdie the tenth, his opening hole; he ripped off three more birdies on hole Nos. 13, 16, and 18. He hit all 14 fairways and also hit 12 greens in regulation. He was 15th in the field in putts per green in regulation with 1.58.
However, Davis' back nine was a bit more of a challenge.
"When we made the turn, the wind kicked up a little," Sivadge said. "It made the course more difficult."
Sivadge is certainly a big help to Davis in keeping him focused and calm.
"I have known him since I was 10 or 11 years old and have played a lot of golf together," Davis said. "I feel like he knows my game pretty well since we have played so much golf together, and he is a good person to help me calm down and someone to talk to."
As the first round wore on, the light began to dim, and Davis became a bit tired.
"Midway through the back nine, he started getting a little tired," Sivadge said. "He missed a couple of easy approach shots."
Davis played his opening 13 holes bogey-free and was cruising along at 4-under par. A bogey on the 14th was quickly erased with a birdie on the 15th. But as the day darkened the greens became a bit tougher to read in the twilight; Davis dropped shots on the seventh and eighth holes before play was suspended due to darkness. Davis would return on Friday morning to finish up his round. He made a third straight bogey to card an opening round 71.
It was a solid round for the young amateur, and he won't have much time to lick his wounds. After wrapping up his first round, Davis had to turn around quickly to play his second round with started at 8:15 am local time.
This week marks the first of two weeks on the PGA Tour where a teenager will play after making it through qualifying. Oliver Betschart will tee it up in the Butterfield next week.
For Davis, the week will be a success whether he makes the cut or not. He has an outside chance, given his penchant for making birdies He has also gained a bit of a fanbase down in Mexico.
"He has a lot of fans cheering for him," Sivadge said. "It's pretty cool for him."