Robert Streb held his nerve to win his first PGA Tour title in a playoff with fellow American Will MacKenzie and Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge for the US$5.6 million McGladrey Classic at Sea Island in Georgia on Sunday.
As the afternoon shadows lengthened to end a day of unbroken sunshine on the Seaside Course, Streb sealed victory by sinking a four-foot birdie putt at the second extra hole, the par-three 17th, where de Jonge narrowly missed his attempt from 18 feet.
After retrieving his ball from the cup, the 27-year-old Streb removed his cap to acknowledge the cheers from the crowd before being congratulated by the burly de Jonge, who had also been bidding for his maiden victory on the PGA Tour.
Photo: AFP
MacKenzie, seeking to end a six-year title drought on the US circuit, was eliminated from the playoff at the first extra hole, the par-four 18th, where he bogeyed after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
The trio had finished the 72 regulation holes on 14-under-par 266, de Jonge closing with a five-under 65, MacKenzie carding a 68 and early starter Streb firing a best-of-the-day 63.
“The wait was a little nerve-wracking because they [the final groups in regulation] had the par-five [15th to come],” said Streb, who finished his round an hour and a half before MacKenzie.
“And then obviously those last two short putts I was pretty shaky,” he added, referring to his four-footer for par on the first extra hole and his birdie putt for victory.
Asked if he could put his emotions into words, Streb said: “Not yet, but I am very thrilled.”
De Jonge made the first significant move in a hotly contested final round, a flurry of three birdies in the opening three holes lifting him into a tie for the lead with overnight pacesetters Andrew Svoboda and MacKenzie.
While Svoboda slipped back with bogeys on 11, 12 and 14, Streb, who began the final round five strokes off the pace, drained a 33-footer at the 17th for his fourth consecutive birdie, to move into a share of the lead.
Streb had to settle for a par at the last after his birdie attempt from 21 feet pulled up a few inches short of the cup.
“It was a lot of fun,” Streb said after signing his card. “I made quite a few putts and stuffed a couple of wedges [close]. Before you know it, you’ve got a whole pile of birdies.”
KOREA OPEN
Reuters, SEOUL
Kim Seung-hyuk sank two nerve-shredding par putts at the 16th and 17th holes on the way to a two-shot victory at the fog-hit Korea Open yesterday.
South Korean Kim had led by a stroke from compatriots Noh Seung-yul and amateur Ham Jeong-woo when play was suspended due to failing light on Sunday.
With five holes left to play, the 28-year-old predicted his fate at the OneAsia event would be determined by his performance at 16 and 17, and that prediction was borne out when he returned to the course yesterday.
Kim kept his nose in front by holing a 20-foot putt for par on 16, then had to hold his nerve once again to sink a tricky six-footer at the next hole at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
The 28-year-old, who extended his lead in the tour’s Order of Merit, made par on all five holes yesterday to finish on a 282 total, while amateur Ham slipped to joint third after bogeys on 15 and 17 left him three shots off the pace.
“My game plan was just to make pars,” said Kim, who won the SK Telecom Open in May. “It’s a difficult course and you really need to manage your game if you expect to win here.”
YE Yang, who became Asia’s first male major winner with his victory at the 2009 PGA Championship, finished sixth on 286.
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