Jonathan Byrd opened the PGA Tour season by winning the Tournament of Champions in dramatic fashion on Sunday, beating Robert Garrigus in a sudden-death playoff when Garrigus missed a three-foot par putt on the second extra hole.
Byrd qualified for the tournament in Kapalua, Hawaii, by making a hole-in-one in near darkness to win a three-man playoff in Las Vegas, as dramatic a finish as there was on the tour last year. He won this playoff under far more different circumstances.
He nearly holed a 50-foot birdie putt on the opening hole on the Plantation Course, leaving him a tap-in par. Byrd stood off to the side of the green, waiting to go to the next hole, when Garrigus missed the easy putt.
It gave Byrd his fifth career victory and this came with a few perks. Byrd earned an automatic invitation to the Masters and with his second win in the last two months, he is exempt for the US Open.
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland nearly joined the Americans in the playoff. The US Open champion, coming off a dream season, matched the Plantation Course record with an 11-under 62 and finished one shot behind. McDowell had a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole that just missed.
Byrd and Garrigus, who missed a 12-foot eagle putt on the 18th in regulation, finished at 24-under 268.
Garrigus was always behind after a bogey on the opening hole, was never out of the hunt. He always had the 688-yard, downhill 18th waiting for him and he again took advantage. Garrigus ripped a five-wood that caught the grain and the slope perfectly, about 12 feet short of the hole. His eagle putt didn’t have enough speed, however, and caught the lower side of the cup.
Byrd, playing in the final group, couldn’t reach the green because of the wind into his face. His wedge came up well short and his 18-foot birdie putt for the win didn’t have a chance.
Despite the length advantage for Garrigus, Byrd had the best chance to win the first playoff hole on the 18th. His pitch stopped 10 feet short of the hole, but his second chance at birdie for the win slid by the cup.
Garrigus had a 73-yard advantage off the tee on the second extra hole, but his approach was 40 feet short and his birdie putt to win was hit too hard, leaving him a nervy three-footer that he missed.
“That putt was a microcosm of how I feel right now. This hole kind of got me this week,” said Garrigus, who bogeyed No. 1 in regulation and was four-over par the five times he played it. “Hopefully, I might make it back here next year.”
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