That club wasn’t as valuable as a Fabergé Egg to Green, but close. And with just two days to go before the start of the 89th-annual tournament, he had little time to find a replacement.
“I was kind of scared. I had that driver all through high school. I hit better than anything I’ve ever tried,” said Green, who graduated from Southeastern in June and will be a scholarship player at Division-I Northern Kentucky in the fall.
Green works at Locust Hills, and, with the help of club pro Andrew Kitchen, found a suitable shaft and made the necessary repairs.
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“It’s an inch shorter than the previous shaft, which, honestly, I kind of like,” Green said. “On my old shaft, I found myself not using the full length of the club. I was choking up a little. With this, I have my hands back where they should be, and I’m hitting it at least 10 yards longer off the tee.”
Green has been striping tee shots in his first City Am appearance. He carded an even-par 72 at Reid North on Saturday and is at 4-under 212 going into the final 18 today.
Joe Turney shot 74 and is second at 216, while Cam Wardley posted a 78 and is third at 225.
“I’ll take 72 on the North every day,” said Green, who separated from the field with a glittering 68 in the second round.
“I didn’t make the putts like I did last Sunday. That was the difference in the 68. But I hit the ball just as sharp off the tee and from tee to green.”
He birdied the two par-5s on the front nine but bogeyed Nos. 8 and 9. He had all pars on the back nine, missing five birdie tries inside 20 feet.
The 49-year-old Turney, who won the City Am in 2005, played with Green for the first time and came away impressed.
“He hit a lot of good, solid shots, and he’s a really good putter,” Turney said. “I’m really excited to see how he plays down at NKU. I think he’s got a lot of potential.”
Green’s lanky frame helps him create the clubhead speed to hit 300-yard drives. And he also appears to have an ideal temperament for golf.
“He’s got a great demeaner,” Turney said. “He reminds me a lot of (2017 champ) Luke Wells. He doesn’t seem to get too worked up over any shot.
“He’s a good kid, fun to play with. I’m excited to get to play with him again tomorrow.”
Turney had a rough stretch in the middle of his round — bogeying Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 11 — but doesn’t think Green is out of reach.
“It depends on how it all starts. I’ve played in this a long time, and if you can get off to a hot start and get two or three back early, suddenly it’s a little different,” he said.
But Green has shown no signs of slowing down.
“I’m just going to play my game,” he said. “Somewhere around even par would be a great score again. I’d take that.”
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