Patrick Cantlay reached 10-under par at the Rocket Classic and then delivered a characteristically direct assessment of his season:
“Pretty mediocre so far.”
Cantlay has not won since 2022, but believes his game has been moving in the correct direction during the last several months. He remains optimistic because tournament golf can change remarkably quickly.
One great week can transform an entire season.
Cantlay says victories can arrive in rapid succession once confidence and momentum begin building, and another win in the near future would not surprise him.
His second round required patience from the beginning. Cantlay did not start quickly and repeatedly found himself out of position. A drive into the fairway bunker on the 17th demonstrated how significantly one miss can change a hole at the renovated course.
Despite those problems, he completed his opening nine without a bogey and preserved enough momentum to score better during the second half of the round.
Cantlay praises the redesign but explains that the additional bunkers and taller grass have made missed fairways significantly more expensive. From the short grass, players still have wedges and plenty of birdie opportunities. From the wrong position, the same holes immediately become exercises in damage limitation.
He also discusses his desire to represent the United States at the Presidents Cup, describing qualification as an important goal while refusing to allow it to distract him from the final two rounds in Detroit.
The strategy for ending his victory drought remains uncomplicated:
Stay patient. Continue working on the fundamentals. Trust that the opportunity is close.
Watch Patrick Cantlay’s complete second-round interview from the 2026 Rocket Classic.
#PatrickCantlay #RocketClassic #PGATOUR