MOORE BEATS WOODLAND IN KUALA LUMPUR EARLY MORNING PLAY-OFF

  NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR

Kuala Lumpur, October 28: American Ryan Moore defeated countryman Gary Woodland with a magical birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the CIMB Classic on Monday.

The 30-year-old Moore hit an exquisite eight iron approach shot to within three feet of the par five 18^th hole at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s West course to claim his third PGA TOUR title in the US$7 million event sanctioned with the Asian Tour.

Woodland, who had missed a birdie putt on the 72^nd hole on Sunday evening for the victory, missed the green in regulation and then left his fourth shot short of the hole to settle for the runner-up place.                                                                                                 

“Playing a play-off with someone like Gary, I know I don't want it to last very long,” said a delighted Moore, who won the top cheque of US$1.26 million in what is Asia’s first official FedExCup event.

“I had a great opportunity there on 18 with my third shot, and it was just an absolute perfect number. It was 158 yards, a little bit back up the hill, so for me that was just a perfect slightly choked down full eight iron.

“Fortunately it was a back right pin, too, and I like to hit a little cut. It was coincidentally the exact shot I was working on the range … with my nine iron I was actually as I didn't hit my lay up quite as far as I had planned on. I was planning on having a nine iron in and I had the eight iron, but it's essentially the exact shame shot, and fortunately I hit it right next to the hole.”

The Las Vegas-based Moore said he was pumped up for the play-off after making a crucial par save on the 72^nd hole in near-darkness on Sunday after a wonderful approach shot as well. 

“Sleeping was not a matter of the fact that I had to come back and play a play-off this morning and try and win a million dollars. It was the fact that I was a little bit jacked up because I just made an amazing up and down on the 18th hole to just tie and even get into it. So I just had that little bit of adrenaline, so it was more getting that out of the system than nerves for this morning,” said Moore, who is ranked 31^st in the world.

Woodland, who was chasing his third PGA TOUR title, was disappointed he came up short against Moore after both players ended regulation play on 14-under-par 278. “It was tough. It was a long hole, and Ryan hit a great shot in there and obviously made a good birdie. But I thought I hit a pretty good shot on the third, just obviously coming out of the rough, I would have like to have been in the fairway, came out of the rough and came up a little short,” said Woodland.

He said he would not have hit his birdie putt any differently on the 72^nd hole during the final round which would have sealed victory for him.

“I'd like to make that putt. I hit it where I wanted to, it just broke more. I can see it now, it was a little lighter out right now, I can see it broke a little more, but it is what it is. I hit a good putt, and it just didn't go in,” said the 29-year-old.

One of the longest hitters on Tour, Woodland took the safety first approach in the play-off with a long iron off the tee but pushed his second shot into the rough. From there, he struggled home as Moore cruised to victory.

“I didn't think I could cover the bunkers this morning, especially where that pin was. If the pin was up front, we probably would have been a little more aggressive, but with the pin in the back I didn't want to leave it short of the bunker and have a tough third shot.  We decided to lay up and tried to hit a good wedge in there,” he said.

“I really enjoyed my time here. Obviously I played pretty well, just came up one shot short.  All in all it was a great week, something to build on, and look forward to coming back.”