Gove turns in solid week in Texas

Jeff Gove has been struggling this year to achieve the one elementary aspect of a successful season: making cuts.

At last week's Valero Texas Open, Gove went about changing that.

Struggling to make it into fields after missing a string of cuts to begin the year, the veteran finally made a cut last month in Puerto Rico's opposite-field event the week of Doral before patiently waiting for another opportunity. It came at the Valero, where Gove made the cut and closed strong with a 2-under 70 to turn in a T46 effort.

For his 71-73-75-70 week, Gove earned $16,580, his largest paycheck of the year after collecting $7,700 in Puerto Rico.

Now at No. 196 on the money list after beginning the week at No. 210, Gove has at least a fighting chance to gain entry into more fields once the next reshuffle hits. The late spring and summer months are usually easier for entry, as fields are larger and some of the more affluent players choose to take weeks off to spend with their families. Gove has no such luxury if he wishes to keep his card for next year, and he will have to play whenever he can.

This being Masters week, many lower-ranking PGA Tour players have decided to enter the field in the Web.com Tour's WNB Golf Classic, but Gove has elected to take the week off from tournament play. He is unlikely to make it into next week's RBC Heritage, the popular post-Masters event with a compressed field at Hilton Head's Harbour Town Golf Links.

Late in his round on Friday, Gove was in danger of missing the cut (which ultimately fell at 1-over) after shooting 2-over on the front nine to fall to 1-over on the week. A bogey on the 12th meant that he would have to play under-par golf the rest of the way to stick around, and he responded with an eagle on the par-5 14th and parred in to fall safely inside the cut line.