Glover edges Byrd for playoff triumph
Source: Agencies |
May 10, 2011, Tuesday
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LUCAS Glover won his first title since the 2009 US Open by beating his former college teammate Jonathan Byrd on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday.
Byrd, who played three years with Glover at nearby Clemson University and has competed against him since they were 10-year-olds, forced the playoff with a birdie at the 18th to finish the regulation 72 holes locked at 15-under 273.
Returning to the 18th, Byrd hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker on the right and then pulled his approach left into rough just behind a creek running alongside the green.
His pitch ran well past the hole and he two-putted for bogey, while Glover safely two-putted for par to end his title drought 41 tournaments after his major triumph at Bethpage Black.
Glover, who relied on his putting to make up for erratic play off the tee, shot a final-round of 3-under 69, while Byrd posted a par 72.
One stroke behind the two Americans was South African Rory Sabbatini, who surged into contention with seven birdies in a 65 to reach 14 under.
"I putted great," said the bearded Glover, who won his third PGA title. "The key for me, especially here, is I made a lot of five to eight-footers for par to keep the rounds going."
Steep slope
Glover, 31, curled in a left-to-right, six-footer to save par at the 72nd hole after an adventure that saw his tee shot sail left onto a steep slope and his ball roll down the hillside as he stood over his approach shot.
He banged his second shot through the green and chipped past the hole, but made the putt coming back.
Byrd, 33, had won both previous playoffs he had competed in - most memorably in extra time last year at Las Vegas with a hole-in-one - but his wayward drive put paid to his hopes of a sixth US PGA title.
"If I couldn't win, I couldn't pick anybody else I'd want to win other than Lucas, so I'm very happy for him," he said.
In Terrassa near Barcelona, Thomas Aiken won the Spanish Open on Sunday and dedicated his maiden European Tour victory to Seve Ballesteros.
The South African closed with a 2-under 70 for a 10-under 278 total that left him two shots better than experienced Dane Anders Hansen (70).
"Seve was an inspiration to us all and we were all out there trying to win it for him," Aiken said, referring to the Spanish five-time major champion who died of brain cancer on Saturday at the age of 54.
"No matter who had won today I think they would have wanted to dedicate the win to Seve," added the 27-year-old Aiken after breaking his tour duck in his fourth full year.
Byrd, who played three years with Glover at nearby Clemson University and has competed against him since they were 10-year-olds, forced the playoff with a birdie at the 18th to finish the regulation 72 holes locked at 15-under 273.
Returning to the 18th, Byrd hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker on the right and then pulled his approach left into rough just behind a creek running alongside the green.
His pitch ran well past the hole and he two-putted for bogey, while Glover safely two-putted for par to end his title drought 41 tournaments after his major triumph at Bethpage Black.
Glover, who relied on his putting to make up for erratic play off the tee, shot a final-round of 3-under 69, while Byrd posted a par 72.
One stroke behind the two Americans was South African Rory Sabbatini, who surged into contention with seven birdies in a 65 to reach 14 under.
"I putted great," said the bearded Glover, who won his third PGA title. "The key for me, especially here, is I made a lot of five to eight-footers for par to keep the rounds going."
Steep slope
Glover, 31, curled in a left-to-right, six-footer to save par at the 72nd hole after an adventure that saw his tee shot sail left onto a steep slope and his ball roll down the hillside as he stood over his approach shot.
He banged his second shot through the green and chipped past the hole, but made the putt coming back.
Byrd, 33, had won both previous playoffs he had competed in - most memorably in extra time last year at Las Vegas with a hole-in-one - but his wayward drive put paid to his hopes of a sixth US PGA title.
"If I couldn't win, I couldn't pick anybody else I'd want to win other than Lucas, so I'm very happy for him," he said.
In Terrassa near Barcelona, Thomas Aiken won the Spanish Open on Sunday and dedicated his maiden European Tour victory to Seve Ballesteros.
The South African closed with a 2-under 70 for a 10-under 278 total that left him two shots better than experienced Dane Anders Hansen (70).
"Seve was an inspiration to us all and we were all out there trying to win it for him," Aiken said, referring to the Spanish five-time major champion who died of brain cancer on Saturday at the age of 54.
"No matter who had won today I think they would have wanted to dedicate the win to Seve," added the 27-year-old Aiken after breaking his tour duck in his fourth full year.
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