HUMBLE, Texas – Brendon Todd had played 17 holes of bogey-free, 5-under golf Friday at the Houston Open when he hit his tee shot into the left greenside bunker at the Golf Club of Houston’s par-3 ninth hole. In an unfortunate break, Todd’s ball settled near the lip, forcing Todd to hit his next shot from an awkward lie.

“I was in a really tough spot with one foot out of the bunker there on the first [bunker] shot,” Todd said. “Thought I picked the right club to run it down there and the club just went right under the ball.”

Todd failed to get out of the sand and left himself another bunker shot to remain at 1 under, which happened to be the projected cut line at the time.

“When you know you've got to get up and down for a chance to make the cut, you're deflated,” Todd said, “so that was a tough spot.”

After a quick pep talk from his caddie, Todd stepped up and did what he had to do, holing the shot to shoot 5-under 67 and likely make his first cut of the young season.

“I hit a beauty,” Todd said. “I landed it right on top of the mound like you're supposed to and got lucky that it rolled in the hole.”

Luck hasn’t been on Todd’s side in recent years. The 34-year-old Georgia product won on Tour and cracked the top 50 in the world in 2014. Two seasons later, he had lost his card, missing 25 of 29 cuts during the 2015-16 season.

He got it back via this year’s Korn Ferry Tour Finals but had played each of the first four events of this Tour season and failed to make the weekend each time.

Now, though, he’ll finally stick around for one.