Patton Kizzire wins Sony Open play-off at sixth extra hole, Russell Knox (T10) earns $148,800
By Rex Hoggard
HONOLULU – No matter how talented or determined a player may be, winning is an acquired skill.
Even Tiger Woods needed a few starts (four, actually) after turning pro before he figured out how to win on the US PGA Tour. Perhaps a better example would be David Duval, who had played 86 events before he finally broke through at the 1997 Michelob Championship. He would go on to win 13 times, including a major, and ascend to No. 1 in the world.
So when Patton Kizzire, pictured above with the Sony Open trophy, broke through after 58 starts in the Big Leagues late last year at the OHL Classic there was always the notion that after two years on Tour as a solid if not somewhat overlooked player he could be poised for something special.
It took him just two more starts to add to his collection, outlasting James Hahn on Sunday at the Sony Open to win at the sixth extra hole - the longest play-off in tournament history - and end a surreal week that included an erroneous missile threat on Saturday.
Kizzire needed a scrambling par at the final overtime stop, the par-3 17th hole, which seemed about right. In what the champion called a “peculiar week,” it was only apropos that they would need extra frames to crown a winner.
“Today was a battle. I didn't have my best stuff. It was a wild week. It was a wild day,” Kizzire said in his signature southern drawl that didn’t exactly fit in with the hectic final moments.
Kizzire, who became the season’s first two-time winner, could have won the event outright with a 17-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole. He didn’t. He would also miss birdie attempts from 18 feet (75th hole) and 24 feet (77th hole) that would have sealed the victory, before he finally rolled in the game winner.
Hahn had his own list of potential walk-offs he could lament.
Hahn, whose previous two victories both came in play-offs, also failed to convert an 18-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole, an 11-footer at the first playoff hole, a 17-footer at the third and a 9-footer at the ninth. Ultimately, it was a missed 9-footer for par at the sixth play-off hole that sealed his fate and promised to make the next few days an experiment in revisionist history.
“I played good enough to win, but I didn't,” said Hahn, who started the day six strokes off the lead held by Tom Hoge but shot a week’s-best 62 to finish at 17 under and force overtime. “If I'm not coming out of the room with the trophy, it really feels like I was defeated out there. I mean, I had a putt to win it. I'm going to be playing that over and over and over again.”
For players like Hahn, and Kizzire, the pain of losing almost always outweighs the joy of winning. It’s the nature of the game.
“I'd rather lose by 100 than lose by one [stroke]. I'd rather miss the cut than lose in a playoff. It just doesn't sit well with me,” Hahn reasoned.
For Kizzire, however, winning took some time. It always has.
On the Web.com Tour in 2015, he endured a pair of runner-up finishes before he finally broke through, in a play-off no less, 20 starts into his career on the secondary circuit.
Although he didn’t need extra holes, Kizzire’s victory in Mexico was just as stressful as his triumph in Hawaii. He took a one-stroke lead over Rickie Fowler into the final round and matched him stroke-for-stroke to win by the same margin.
“That was big for me to come out on top and to know that I can do it and to see myself do it,” said Kizzire, whose closing 68 included nine consecutive pars to begin his day and a hole-out for eagle at the par-4 10th hole to move into the lead. “I used that experience today.”
The flashbacks likely began at the 17th hole in regulation when Kizzire’s tee shot sailed left and he needed to convert from 5 feet to maintain a share of the lead.
There were plenty of moments throughout a hectic day when Kizzire could have succumbed to the pressure, and for all the putts he missed there were just as many crucial attempts he made to keep the playoff going as sunset approached.
For Kizzire, 31, learning how to win was almost as simple as learning that on days like Sunday at Waialae Country Club you don’t always need your best stuff.
“He’d won at every level. He’s just one of those guys who wants to win,” said Todd Anderson, Kizzire’s swing coach. “You can tell the guys who aren’t afraid to say they want it and that’s him.”
And now he wants more after learning, through trial and plenty of error, what it takes to beat the world’s best, even if that means enduring a marathon final round.
Russell Knox from Inverness finished a disappointing T10 on 267 after bogeying the 15th and 16th in a final-round 69. He broke the par of 70 in all four rounds with birdies at the seventh, eighth and 12th on Sunday looking like setting him up for a top five finish ... until the late brace of bogeys
The Scot earned $148,800.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
players from USA unless stated otherwise
par 280 (4x70)
263 Patton Kizzire 67 64 64 68, James Hahn 67 69 65 62 (Kizzire won play-off at sixth extra hole).
265 Webb Simpson 67 76 63 65. Brian Stuard 67 66 67 65, Brian Harman 64 63 68 70.
SELECTED TOTAL
267 Russell Knox (Scotland) 69 64 65 69 (T10)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
By Rex Hoggard
HONOLULU – No matter how talented or determined a player may be, winning is an acquired skill.
Even Tiger Woods needed a few starts (four, actually) after turning pro before he figured out how to win on the US PGA Tour. Perhaps a better example would be David Duval, who had played 86 events before he finally broke through at the 1997 Michelob Championship. He would go on to win 13 times, including a major, and ascend to No. 1 in the world.
So when Patton Kizzire, pictured above with the Sony Open trophy, broke through after 58 starts in the Big Leagues late last year at the OHL Classic there was always the notion that after two years on Tour as a solid if not somewhat overlooked player he could be poised for something special.
It took him just two more starts to add to his collection, outlasting James Hahn on Sunday at the Sony Open to win at the sixth extra hole - the longest play-off in tournament history - and end a surreal week that included an erroneous missile threat on Saturday.
Kizzire needed a scrambling par at the final overtime stop, the par-3 17th hole, which seemed about right. In what the champion called a “peculiar week,” it was only apropos that they would need extra frames to crown a winner.
“Today was a battle. I didn't have my best stuff. It was a wild week. It was a wild day,” Kizzire said in his signature southern drawl that didn’t exactly fit in with the hectic final moments.
Kizzire, who became the season’s first two-time winner, could have won the event outright with a 17-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole. He didn’t. He would also miss birdie attempts from 18 feet (75th hole) and 24 feet (77th hole) that would have sealed the victory, before he finally rolled in the game winner.
Hahn had his own list of potential walk-offs he could lament.
Hahn, whose previous two victories both came in play-offs, also failed to convert an 18-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole, an 11-footer at the first playoff hole, a 17-footer at the third and a 9-footer at the ninth. Ultimately, it was a missed 9-footer for par at the sixth play-off hole that sealed his fate and promised to make the next few days an experiment in revisionist history.
“I played good enough to win, but I didn't,” said Hahn, who started the day six strokes off the lead held by Tom Hoge but shot a week’s-best 62 to finish at 17 under and force overtime. “If I'm not coming out of the room with the trophy, it really feels like I was defeated out there. I mean, I had a putt to win it. I'm going to be playing that over and over and over again.”
For players like Hahn, and Kizzire, the pain of losing almost always outweighs the joy of winning. It’s the nature of the game.
“I'd rather lose by 100 than lose by one [stroke]. I'd rather miss the cut than lose in a playoff. It just doesn't sit well with me,” Hahn reasoned.
For Kizzire, however, winning took some time. It always has.
On the Web.com Tour in 2015, he endured a pair of runner-up finishes before he finally broke through, in a play-off no less, 20 starts into his career on the secondary circuit.
Although he didn’t need extra holes, Kizzire’s victory in Mexico was just as stressful as his triumph in Hawaii. He took a one-stroke lead over Rickie Fowler into the final round and matched him stroke-for-stroke to win by the same margin.
“That was big for me to come out on top and to know that I can do it and to see myself do it,” said Kizzire, whose closing 68 included nine consecutive pars to begin his day and a hole-out for eagle at the par-4 10th hole to move into the lead. “I used that experience today.”
The flashbacks likely began at the 17th hole in regulation when Kizzire’s tee shot sailed left and he needed to convert from 5 feet to maintain a share of the lead.
There were plenty of moments throughout a hectic day when Kizzire could have succumbed to the pressure, and for all the putts he missed there were just as many crucial attempts he made to keep the playoff going as sunset approached.
For Kizzire, 31, learning how to win was almost as simple as learning that on days like Sunday at Waialae Country Club you don’t always need your best stuff.
“He’d won at every level. He’s just one of those guys who wants to win,” said Todd Anderson, Kizzire’s swing coach. “You can tell the guys who aren’t afraid to say they want it and that’s him.”
And now he wants more after learning, through trial and plenty of error, what it takes to beat the world’s best, even if that means enduring a marathon final round.
Russell Knox from Inverness finished a disappointing T10 on 267 after bogeying the 15th and 16th in a final-round 69. He broke the par of 70 in all four rounds with birdies at the seventh, eighth and 12th on Sunday looking like setting him up for a top five finish ... until the late brace of bogeys
The Scot earned $148,800.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
players from USA unless stated otherwise
par 280 (4x70)
263 Patton Kizzire 67 64 64 68, James Hahn 67 69 65 62 (Kizzire won play-off at sixth extra hole).
265 Webb Simpson 67 76 63 65. Brian Stuard 67 66 67 65, Brian Harman 64 63 68 70.
SELECTED TOTAL
267 Russell Knox (Scotland) 69 64 65 69 (T10)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Here's a look at how the purse was paid out at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
| P1 | Patton Kizzire | -17 | $1,116,000 |
| P2 | James Hahn | -17 | $669,600 |
| 3 | Tom Hoge | -16 | $421,600 |
| T4 | Brian Harman | -15 | $256,267 |
| T4 | Webb Simpson | -15 | $256,267 |
| T4 | Brian Stuard | -15 | $256,267 |
| T7 | Ben Martin | -14 | $193,233 |
| T7 | Ollie Schniederjans | -14 | $193,233 |
| T7 | Gary Woodland | -14 | $193,233 |
| T10 | Ryan Blaum | -13 | $148,800 |
| T10 | Chris Kirk | -13 | $148,800 |
| T10 | Russell Knox | -13 | $148,800 |
| T10 | Kyle Stanley | -13 | $148,800 |
| T14 | Daniel Berger | -12 | $108,500 |
| T14 | Zach Johnson | -12 | $108,500 |
| T14 | Jerry Kelly | -12 | $108,500 |
| T14 | Justin Thomas | -12 | $108,500 |
| T18 | Austin Cook | -11 | $75,463 |
| T18 | Jason Dufner | -11 | $75,463 |
| T18 | Talor Gooch | -11 | $75,463 |
| T18 | Daisuke Kataoka | -11 | $75,463 |
| T18 | Chez Reavie | -11 | $75,463 |
| T18 | Cameron Smith | -11 | $75,463 |
| T18 | Jordan Spieth | -11 | $75,463 |
| T25 | Jonathan Byrd | -10 | $46,323 |
| T25 | Brandon Harkins | -10 | $46,323 |
| T25 | Kevin Kisner | -10 | $46,323 |
| T25 | Keith Mitchell | -10 | $46,323 |
| T25 | Scott Piercy | -10 | $46,323 |
| T25 | Sam Saunders | -10 | $46,323 |
| T25 | Xinjun Zhang | -10 | $46,323 |
| T32 | Wesley Bryan | -9 | $33,569 |
| T32 | Stewart Cink | -9 | $33,569 |
| T32 | Tony Finau | -9 | $33,569 |
| T32 | Charles Howell III | -9 | $33,569 |
| T32 | Nicholas Lindheim | -9 | $33,569 |
| T32 | Rory Sabbatini | -9 | $33,569 |
| T32 | Xander Schauffele | -9 | $33,569 |
| T39 | Ryan Armour | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Dominic Bozzelli | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Keegan Bradley | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Corey Conners | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Matt Jones | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Nate Lashley | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Jonathan Randolph | -8 | $23,560 |
| T39 | Adam Schenk | -8 | $23,560 |
| T47 | Roberto Diaz | -7 | $15,925 |
| T47 | Emiliano Grillo | -7 | $15,925 |
| T47 | Jason Kokrak | -7 | $15,925 |
| T47 | Marc Leishman | -7 | $15,925 |
| T47 | John Peterson | -7 | $15,925 |
| T47 | Conrad Shindler | -7 | $15,925 |
| T47 | J.J. Spaun | -7 | $15,925 |
| T54 | Shugo Imahira | -6 | $14,198 |
| T54 | Stephan Jaeger | -6 | $14,198 |
| T54 | Seamus Power | -6 | $14,198 |
| T54 | Hudson Swafford | -6 | $14,198 |
| T58 | Brian Gay | -5 | $13,578 |
| T58 | Lanto Griffin | -5 | $13,578 |
| T58 | Si Woo Kim | -5 | $13,578 |
| T58 | Ryan Palmer | -5 | $13,578 |
| T58 | Sam Ryder | -5 | $13,578 |
| T58 | Tyrone Van Aswegen | -5 | $13,578 |
| 64 | Harris English | -4 | $13,144 |
| T65 | Scott Brown | -3 | $12,958 |
| T65 | William McGirt | -3 | $12,958 |
| T67 | Blayne Barber | -2 | $12,710 |
| T67 | John Oda | -2 | $12,710 |
| T69 | Steve Allan | -1 | $12,338 |
| T69 | Colt Knost | -1 | $12,338 |
| T69 | Andrew Putnam | -1 | $12,338 |
| T69 | Kevin Tway | -1 | $12,338 |
| T73 | Joel Dahmen | E | $11,966 |
| T73 | D.A. Points | E | $11,966 |
| 75 | Matt Every | 1 | $11,780 |
| 76 | Vaughn Taylor | 2 | $11,656 |
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, January 15, 2018
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