GERMAN HOLES VITAL CLUTCH PUTT AT SHORT 17TH
KAYMER OVERCOMES DOUBLE BOGEY
TO WIN PLAYERS' TITLE BY ONE SHOT
CLICK HERE
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x71) players from USA unless stated
275 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 63 69 72 71
276 Jim Furyk 70 68 72 66
277 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 67 71 69 70
278 Justin Rose (England) 67 71 71 69, Jordan Spieth 67 66 71 74
279 Jimmy Walker 75 68 71 65, Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 70 74 69 66, David Hearn (Canada) 70 71 68 70, Lee Westwood (England) 67 71 71 70, Francesco Molinari (Italy) 72 70 67 70
280 Brian Davis (England) 72 67 73 68, Gary Woodland 67 71 70 72
281 K J Choi (S Korea) 74 70 72 65, Chris Kirk 71 73 70 67, Steve Stricker 71 70 71 69, George McNeill 71 68 69 73.
SELECTED SCORES
285 Russell Knox (Scotland) 72 72 73 68, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 71 70 70 74 (T34)
286 Luke Donald (England) 73 569 75 69, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 67 77 72 70, Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 74 67 74 71, Adam Scott (Australia) 77 67 69 73 (T38).
TO WIN PLAYERS' TITLE BY ONE SHOT
- FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
-
Martin Kaymer held on with three tough pars to close out THE PLAYERS. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – When rain and lightning interrupted the
final round of the Players' Championship at Sawgrass, Martin Kaymer’s victory seemed
certain. He needed an improbable shot on golf’s most famous hole for a
one-shot win, though.
Kaymer was three shots ahead when he stepped to the 15th tee. He missed his tee shot and approach left en route to double-bogey, though, and was just one shot ahead when he hit his tee shot at the island-green on 17.
His first shot was just a few feet short, landing in the rough past the greenside bunker before nearly spinning off the front of the green. "To see it kick like that was a bit of a blow," said his caddie, Craig Connelly.
His chip shot had to curl around the bunker, but he left it 29 feet short. Kaymer was in danger of losing his one-shot lead, but made the bending 29-footer as darkness neared.
“I just played with a lot of instinct and there was a little bit of luck involved,” Kaymer said of a putt that will join Tiger Woods’ 'better than most' birdie in the island green’s lengthy lore. “It was a very strange way to make a 3.”
Kaymer sealed his first US Tour victory since the 2010 PGA Championship with a 3-foot par putt at No. 18 that reminded him of his Ryder Cup-clinching 6-footer from 2012.
Kaymer held at least a share of the lead after each round, starting with his course-record-tying 63 in the first round. He started the final round tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth, then shot 71 for a 13-under 275 total and one-shot win over Jim Furyk.
Kaymer, a former World No 1, moved to No. 18 in the FedExCup.
“It’s always a little bit difficult when you come back out on the golf course,” he said.
Furyk was watching in the clubhouse as Kaymer made his save on 17.
“That up-and-down at 17, I know how hard that is living here,” Furyk said, “and that wasn't one that I would have expected him to get up-and-down very often percentage-wise, but that putt was incredible, to have a good eight feet of break in it and pour it right in the middle.”
Kaymer arrived at the Players' Championship at No. 61 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He briefly held the No. 1 spot in the wake of his 2010 PGA Championship win, but he struggled in the spotlight. This is his first worldwide win since the 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Kaymer was three shots ahead when he stepped to the 15th tee. He missed his tee shot and approach left en route to double-bogey, though, and was just one shot ahead when he hit his tee shot at the island-green on 17.
His first shot was just a few feet short, landing in the rough past the greenside bunker before nearly spinning off the front of the green. "To see it kick like that was a bit of a blow," said his caddie, Craig Connelly.
His chip shot had to curl around the bunker, but he left it 29 feet short. Kaymer was in danger of losing his one-shot lead, but made the bending 29-footer as darkness neared.
“I just played with a lot of instinct and there was a little bit of luck involved,” Kaymer said of a putt that will join Tiger Woods’ 'better than most' birdie in the island green’s lengthy lore. “It was a very strange way to make a 3.”
Kaymer sealed his first US Tour victory since the 2010 PGA Championship with a 3-foot par putt at No. 18 that reminded him of his Ryder Cup-clinching 6-footer from 2012.
Kaymer held at least a share of the lead after each round, starting with his course-record-tying 63 in the first round. He started the final round tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth, then shot 71 for a 13-under 275 total and one-shot win over Jim Furyk.
Kaymer, a former World No 1, moved to No. 18 in the FedExCup.
“It’s always a little bit difficult when you come back out on the golf course,” he said.
Furyk was watching in the clubhouse as Kaymer made his save on 17.
“That up-and-down at 17, I know how hard that is living here,” Furyk said, “and that wasn't one that I would have expected him to get up-and-down very often percentage-wise, but that putt was incredible, to have a good eight feet of break in it and pour it right in the middle.”
Kaymer arrived at the Players' Championship at No. 61 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He briefly held the No. 1 spot in the wake of his 2010 PGA Championship win, but he struggled in the spotlight. This is his first worldwide win since the 2012 Nedbank Golf Challenge.
THE LONGEST YARD: Jim Furyk had a three feet of work remaining
after the rain delay, needing to make a short par putt on No. 18 to
complete his 6-under 66. Furyk made the putt to finish at 12-under 276,
one shot behind Kaymer.
Furyk, who teed off 55 minutes before Kaymer, could only watch on television as Kaymer played the closing holes. Kaymer was just one shot ahead through "The Gauntlet" after a double-bogey at the 15th.
This was Furyk’s second consecutive impressive Sunday that resulted in a runner-up finish. His final-round 65 at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship left Furyk one shot behind winner J.B. Holmes. His waiting was televised both weeks.
“Every time you scratch your nose it's on television. But I understand it's part of the deal,” Furyk said.
“You're looking for a reaction when you know you're not going to get one, considering a guy knows that there's three cameras pointed at him, so it seems a little pointless to me, but I understand.”
Furyk was bogey free Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, making birdie on four of the first six holes. He also made birdies on Nos. 10 and 16.
Furyk, who teed off 55 minutes before Kaymer, could only watch on television as Kaymer played the closing holes. Kaymer was just one shot ahead through "The Gauntlet" after a double-bogey at the 15th.
This was Furyk’s second consecutive impressive Sunday that resulted in a runner-up finish. His final-round 65 at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship left Furyk one shot behind winner J.B. Holmes. His waiting was televised both weeks.
“Every time you scratch your nose it's on television. But I understand it's part of the deal,” Furyk said.
“You're looking for a reaction when you know you're not going to get one, considering a guy knows that there's three cameras pointed at him, so it seems a little pointless to me, but I understand.”
Furyk was bogey free Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, making birdie on four of the first six holes. He also made birdies on Nos. 10 and 16.
IT COMES WITH AGE: Jordan Spieth was excited to contend at
another big tournament. He wasn’t able to win this one, either, leaving
TPC Sawgrass disappointed after starting the final round tied for the
lead.
Spieth’s final-round 74 dropped him to T4, three shots behind Kaymer.
Spieth was bogey-free for the Players’ first 58 holes, but made five bogeys over the final 14 holes.
“It's just tough right now, because you guys catch me five minutes after the round and it's hard, I'm not mature enough to be extremely positive,” Spieth said.
“I will be OK in about an hour, but right now it just really, really stings.”
Spieth also was the 54-hole co-leader at the Masters, where he finished three shots behind winner Bubba Watson after playing the final 10 holes in 3 over and failing to make a birdie on the second nine.
Like at Augusta, Spieth started Sunday well at TPC Sawgrass. He made birdies on two of his first four holes to briefly take sole possession of the lead, but had five bogeys and one birdie the rest of the way.
“Obviously he's going to be a little bit disappointed with today, but he has to also be positive and he has to be happy about all the things he's doing,” said Sergio Garcia, who finished third.
“The game of golf is, unfortunately, a game of losers, and we lose a lot more tournaments than we win, and it's going to happen to him, it's going to happen to me, it's going to happen to everybody. It even happens to Tiger, and he's the guy that wins the most.
“So it's just the nature of the sport and I guess that's one of the reasons why we love it.”
Spieth, a Dallas native, returns home for the next two tournaments – the HP Byron Nelson Championship and Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Spieth twice contended at the Nelson as a teenaged amateur, first gaining notoriety when he finished 16th at the tournament in 2010 at age 16.
Spieth’s final-round 74 dropped him to T4, three shots behind Kaymer.
Spieth was bogey-free for the Players’ first 58 holes, but made five bogeys over the final 14 holes.
“It's just tough right now, because you guys catch me five minutes after the round and it's hard, I'm not mature enough to be extremely positive,” Spieth said.
“I will be OK in about an hour, but right now it just really, really stings.”
Spieth also was the 54-hole co-leader at the Masters, where he finished three shots behind winner Bubba Watson after playing the final 10 holes in 3 over and failing to make a birdie on the second nine.
Like at Augusta, Spieth started Sunday well at TPC Sawgrass. He made birdies on two of his first four holes to briefly take sole possession of the lead, but had five bogeys and one birdie the rest of the way.
“Obviously he's going to be a little bit disappointed with today, but he has to also be positive and he has to be happy about all the things he's doing,” said Sergio Garcia, who finished third.
“The game of golf is, unfortunately, a game of losers, and we lose a lot more tournaments than we win, and it's going to happen to him, it's going to happen to me, it's going to happen to everybody. It even happens to Tiger, and he's the guy that wins the most.
“So it's just the nature of the sport and I guess that's one of the reasons why we love it.”
Spieth, a Dallas native, returns home for the next two tournaments – the HP Byron Nelson Championship and Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Spieth twice contended at the Nelson as a teenaged amateur, first gaining notoriety when he finished 16th at the tournament in 2010 at age 16.
SERGIO STILL STELLAR: Garcia’s success at TPC Sawgrass
continued this week. He shot a final-round 70 to finish third at
11-under 277, his eighth top-25 and fifth top-10 in 15 PLAYERS starts.
He now has a win (2008), runner-up (2007) and third-place (2014) at this
tournament.
Garcia birdied both of the front nine’s par-5s to make the turn in 2-under, then made two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine. He birdied the 18th to avoid a three-way tie for third.
“I wish I could have hit a couple of shots a little bit better on the back nine,. Those couple of bogeys kind of put me behind the eight ball a little bit,” Garcia said. “I still fought as hard as I could.”
Garcia birdied both of the front nine’s par-5s to make the turn in 2-under, then made two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine. He birdied the 18th to avoid a three-way tie for third.
“I wish I could have hit a couple of shots a little bit better on the back nine,. Those couple of bogeys kind of put me behind the eight ball a little bit,” Garcia said. “I still fought as hard as I could.”
BACK DOOR AGAIN OPEN: Rory McIlroy barely made the cut, making a 13-foot birdie putt on his final hole Friday to
advance to the weekend without a shot to spare. He then racked up
another top-10 finish – his fourth in a row, and fifth in his past six
starts – thanks to a weekend rally. He closed at Sawgrass with 69-66.
This is the third consecutive tournament that McIlroy has been over par after 36 holes but has finished in the top 10.
He also did so at the Masters (71-77-71-69, T8) and Wells Fargo Championship (69-76-65-70, T8). He also used a final-round 65 to finish eighth at the Shell Houston Open, his last start before the Masters.
“It's been another solid week, another top‑10 it looks like, another back door top‑10 as I like to call them, but it's getting close,” McIlroy said.
“I'm playing really well, I'm playing solid. I equaled my lowest round ever here at Sawgrass today with a 66, so things are heading in the right direction.”
FedExCup leader Jimmy Walker used a final-round 65 to post a career-best T6 finish at Sawgrass. He made an eagle at the par-5 11th hole and seven birdies, as well as bogeys at Nos. 6 and 18.
“We needed to go for it, so why not but ended up making a bogey,” Walker said about the 18th. “But not a big deal, great round today, for sure.”
Walker’s 65 matched the low round of the day. K.J. Choi also shot 65; he tied the Players' Championship record with six consecutive birdies, on Nos. 9-14.
TO CHECK OUT ALL THE FINAL TOTALSThis is the third consecutive tournament that McIlroy has been over par after 36 holes but has finished in the top 10.
He also did so at the Masters (71-77-71-69, T8) and Wells Fargo Championship (69-76-65-70, T8). He also used a final-round 65 to finish eighth at the Shell Houston Open, his last start before the Masters.
“It's been another solid week, another top‑10 it looks like, another back door top‑10 as I like to call them, but it's getting close,” McIlroy said.
“I'm playing really well, I'm playing solid. I equaled my lowest round ever here at Sawgrass today with a 66, so things are heading in the right direction.”
FedExCup leader Jimmy Walker used a final-round 65 to post a career-best T6 finish at Sawgrass. He made an eagle at the par-5 11th hole and seven birdies, as well as bogeys at Nos. 6 and 18.
“We needed to go for it, so why not but ended up making a bogey,” Walker said about the 18th. “But not a big deal, great round today, for sure.”
Walker’s 65 matched the low round of the day. K.J. Choi also shot 65; he tied the Players' Championship record with six consecutive birdies, on Nos. 9-14.
CLICK HERE
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x71) players from USA unless stated
275 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 63 69 72 71
276 Jim Furyk 70 68 72 66
277 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 67 71 69 70
278 Justin Rose (England) 67 71 71 69, Jordan Spieth 67 66 71 74
279 Jimmy Walker 75 68 71 65, Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 70 74 69 66, David Hearn (Canada) 70 71 68 70, Lee Westwood (England) 67 71 71 70, Francesco Molinari (Italy) 72 70 67 70
280 Brian Davis (England) 72 67 73 68, Gary Woodland 67 71 70 72
281 K J Choi (S Korea) 74 70 72 65, Chris Kirk 71 73 70 67, Steve Stricker 71 70 71 69, George McNeill 71 68 69 73.
SELECTED SCORES
285 Russell Knox (Scotland) 72 72 73 68, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 71 70 70 74 (T34)
286 Luke Donald (England) 73 569 75 69, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 67 77 72 70, Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 74 67 74 71, Adam Scott (Australia) 77 67 69 73 (T38).
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, May 11, 2014
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