RENO — Scott McCarron is playing on the weekend for the first time since the 2011 Bay Hill Invitational, and it’s a great feeling.
McCarron sits at 9 points after 36 holes of the 15th annual Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux Golf & Country Club. He managed just one point Friday, and he wasn’t happy with his second-round effort.
“I’m happy to at least make the weekend,” said McCarron, who has been limited to just seven tournaments thus far after having thumb surgery. “I haven’t played on the weekend in a long time, and to host the tournament and all the extracurricular activities I have to do this week, hosting pairing parties, sponsor parties and tonight’s players party. I haven’t got a lot of rest. I need a haircut and don’t have time, but at least I get to play on the weekend.
“So to come here and make the cut while hosting, I’m very happy. I’m disappointed in the way I played today, in my round and my finish.”
McCarron seems to be able to handle the myriad responsibilities that come his way during tournament week.
“I don’t know if it helps,” he said. “I’ve hosted four or five years now, and before that I was the unofficial host where I was still going and doing some of the parties. So you try to compartmentalize and get the stuff done you’ve got to get done. If I’m out there playing, I can’t think about what I’m going to say at the pro-am dinner or what I’m serving at dinner tonight. I’ve gotten pretty good at it, so I enjoy it.”
McCarron said he wasn’t surprised that he made it to the weekend despite the fact that he hadn’t made a cut all year in six attempts.
“I played pretty good yesterday (Thursday),” McCarron said. “I had eight points and left quite a few out there. Today I made some mistakes and had three three-putts on my last nine holes, which stings a little bit.
“I could see my game starting to come around a little bit in Canada. This is a golf course I like, it was my home course when I lived here. I love Montreux. I have a lot of local knowledge even though I’ve forgotten quite a bit since it’s been a couple of years and I’m getting older. I felt like I could compete, and so I put myself behind the eight ball here after today’s round.”
McCarron said that he plans to play in the Web.com four-week playoff in the fall in an effort to earn his card.
“I’ve signed up for them and I’m going to play,” McCarron said. A good finish in that tournament and McCarron will get exempt status back.
