One has to wonder if Zac Blair’s quirky, shifty wiggle he makes over putts will be more edgy in weeks to come on the PGA Tour.
After all, the pressure he felt at the Sony Open must have been like a Mack truck on his chest. Maybe an extra twitch, wobble or shimmy is in order.
It was fun to see Blair doing what he does best, hunting down a victory at the Sony Open in Honolulu over the weekend. He almost became the story of the month on tour.
The four-time Utah Golf Association Player of the Year was within a 10-foot eagle putt on his 72nd hole from making a playoff with Fabian Gomez and Brandt Snedeker on Sunday.
As the Sony Open finished, Blair earned $394,400 for finishing alone in third place. That missed putt cost him at least $234,000 if he had made the playoff and lost. It put him just out of touch from earning a check of $1-plus million and 500 FedEx points if he had made the playoff and won.
One stroke. One shot.
Blair’s missed eagle on No. 18 came after what many say was the shot of the year on the early 2016 PGA circuit. Blair hit a 3-wood on a 275-yard approach that split the fairway leading up to the green. The ball rolled up a hill to the putting surface and settled 10-feet from the cup. His eagle putt grazed the right side of the hole.
CBS Sports called Blair’s 3-wood shot the early favorite for “shot of the year.” After he made contact on that shot, broadcast producers loved what Blair said on the air: "Oh my gosh, that is so good. Get a good kick. That's awesome. And it was so good.”
On the previous hole, Blair almost holed out a 3-wood he used to putt just off the green on a par-3. On Saturday, Blair missed a two-and-a-half-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have given him the 56-hole lead all alone. He finished 19-under par, one stroke behind playoff winner Gomez.
One shot. Welcome to the PGA, where putts write checks.
The fun thing about watching Blair is he’s kind of become a golfing Robin Hood in Utah. He has been dominating as a junior player and collegian. His father, Jimmy Blair, is tied up in numerous golf projects including Sun River and a facelift of Bloomington Country Club, which Jimmy purchased.
Zac Blair is a baby-faced young man whose love for the game is inspiring. On his days off from the Tour, he plays golf with friends. His father says he can’t get enough of the game.
He’s got a laid-back personality but possesses remarkable self confidence to go with his short-game artistry. He’s not a long hitter off the tee, but he hits it straight, thus his success atop the leaderboard at the Sony Open.
Zac is part of a golfing brotherhood, a merry band of some of the best young golfing personalities in the state. They call their exclusive club The Thread. They’ve kept a text thread going for two years.
The only way you can get in this club is to be invited.
The group includes Blair, brothers Brandon and Jason Hargett, former BYU stars Justin Keiley, Jordan Rodgers and Dan Horner, who just won the Coral Canyon Amateur this past weekend in Hurricane.
They are former Utah State Amateur champions and they’re famous for their shenanigans on social media. In fact, they recently invited Fairways Magazine publisher Randy Dodson to be their media guru. He produced and posted a YouTube video called “Blair’s Day Off,” starring The Thread.
Blair’s performance at the Sony Open was refreshing because it showcased a local player.
With Farmington’s Daniel Summerhays (who tied for 13th at 12-under) and Lehi’s Tony Finau (tied for 64th, 6-under) both making the cut and posting solid scores a the Sony Open, the PGA Tour 2016 season just might give us some great Utah moments in months to come.
Blair set the stage in Honolulu.
Good for him.
EMAIL: dharmon@deseretnews.com.
TWITTER: Harmonwrites