Monster Haas putt seals Riviera playoff

Updated February 20, 2012 12:07:45

Bill Haas clinched his fourth PGA Tour title by beating fellow Americans Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in a gripping sudden-death playoff for the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Haas sank a curling 43-foot birdie putt at the second extra hole, the driveable par-four 10th, to seal victory in bright afternoon sunshine at Riviera Country Club.

Mickelson, seeking a second consecutive PGA Tour win, missed his birdie chance from the back right bunker while Bradley's attempt, a 15-foot putt, slipped past the right edge of the cup.

Bradley, winner of last year's PGA Championship, had set up his birdie opportunity by splashing out of the front right greenside bunker, a shot he described as his best all week.

"I couldn't have hit a better shot," Bradley told reporters.

"I had about a 15 per cent chance of keeping that on grass (the green) where I could putt it. It was one of the best shots I've ever hit.

"But Bill Haas, you've got to give him a lot of credit. It's good to see a fellow belly putter make a putt like that. I'm happy for him."

The trio had finished the 72 regulation holes on 7-under-par 277, Haas closing with a 2-under 69 while Mickelson and Bradley each birdied the par-four last for matching 71s, Mickelson holing a 26-footer and Bradley following suit with a 13-footer.

Spaniard Sergio Garcia fired a best-of-the-week 64 that included two eagles to share fourth place at five-under with Americans Dustin Johnson (71) and Jimmy Walker (69), and Australian Jarrod Lyle (70).

Joint pacesetter overnight with Bradley, Mickelson began the final round by matching his playing partner with a one-putt birdie at the par-five first to remain in a two-way tie at the top.

However, Bradley bogeyed the second and fourth to slide backwards before Mickelson sank a four-footer to birdie the fifth and move two strokes clear of the chasing pack at nine-under.

Mickelson then stumbled with bogeys at the eighth, where he missed the green to the left with his approach, and the ninth, where he found a bunker off the tee.

That put him one shot behind Haas, who birdied the driveable par-four 10th to lead by one.

Haas, last year's FedExCup champion, dropped back with consecutive bogeys from the 12th before Mickelson and Bradley regained a two-way share of the lead at eight-under when they each birdied the par-five 11th.

Though Bradley faltered with a bogey at the 13th where he missed the green to the left with his approach, Mickelson joined him at 7-under after a three-putt bogey at the 14th.

Haas responded with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 17th and moments later found himself with the outright lead after Bradley and Mickelson each bogeyed the difficult par-four 15th.

However, Bradley and Mickelson, playing together in the final grouping, then sank their birdie putts on the 18th green amid deafening roars from the crowd to take the tournament into a playoff.

Reuters

Tags: golf, sport, united-states

First posted February 20, 2012 11:31:12

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Scott seals world championship win

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Ice-cool Stricker seals Memorial win

Updated June 6, 2011 10:47:00

American Steve Stricker claimed his 10th US PGA Tour title in impressive fashion at the Memorial Tournament, winning by one shot over countrymen Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe.

Stricker finished with a 4-under 68 on the final day at Muirfield Village to finish at 16-under-par 272, moving to number four in the world in the process.

The chasing pack did their absolute best to run the 44-year-old down in favourable scoring conditions on the Jack Nicklaus designed course but he refused to yield, playing near impeccable golf.

Stricker started with a three shot advantage but rather than try to protect it and coast to victory he stomped the field by going out in a 6-under par front nine 30.

A two-and-a-half hour weather delay then tried to halt his progress but a 2-over 38 on the difficult back nine was good enough to take the title.

"It was a little bit of a struggle after the rain delay and at that point I was just trying not to make a mistake," Stricker said.

"I hung tough and made some crucial putts when I had to. It's truly an honour to win Jack's tournament."

Queenslander John Senden was the best placed Australian when a 4-under 68 on the final day pushed him to 8-under 280 for the week and a tie for seventh.

Senden made the perfect start by rolling in a two-and-a-half-metre putt on the first hole for birdie.

He then saw his name shoot up the leaderboard thanks to a nice 13-foot putt for eagle on the fifth hole.

Two holes later he came agonisingly close to another eagle when his 23-foot putt missed by an inch but the subsequent birdie had him inside the top three at 8-under par.

Despite birdies on the ninth, 11th and 13th holes sadly his charge stalled on the par-three eighth when he dumped his tee shot into the bunker and could not get up and down.

Further bogeys on 12 and 18 cost him any chance of a higher finish.

Rod Pampling, who came into the week with consecutive top 10 finishes, struggled on the final day to a 7-over 79, dropping 43 places and leaving him at 1-over for the week and tied 51st.

It was even worse for Marc Leishman, who could not match his Saturday heroics where he shot a 6-under 66, instead carding a disappointing 9-over 81 to drop 54 places and finish 62nd at 3-over-par.

Aaron Baddeley finished in a tie for 45th at even par while Nick O'Hern was a shot further back tied with Pampling.

- AAP

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

First posted June 6, 2011 10:39:00

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