| Buick Championship [message #982864] |
Wed, 26 April 2006 16:15 |
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Buick Championship
June 28th- May, 02nd
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut
Live on XM 146/USA/ABC
Purse: $4,400,000
Last Champion: Brad Faxon
Brad Faxon knocked his second shot from a fairway bunker to 3 feet to set up
a birdie that gave him the Buick Championship crown last year.
Faxon fired a course-record-tying, 9-under 61 to end at 14-under-par 266.
After a three-putt bogey on 16, Tjaart van der Walt birdied 17 and 18 to
join Faxon at minus-14 and close a round of 6-under 64.
Brad Faxon earned his first PGA Tour win against all sportsbook odds, since
the 2001 Sony Open. The duo returned to the 18th tee at the TPC at River
Highlands for the playoff. Faxon, hitting first, pulled his drive left of
the fairway in a bunker. Van der Walt then split the fairway with his tee
ball.
Faxon knocked his 7-iron approach to 3 feet. Van der Walt, not to be
outdone, hit the flagstick with his pitching-wedge second shot. His ball
came to rest 10 feet from the cup, but his birdie putt slid by the right
edge.
The 44-year-old Faxon stepped up and rolled in his birdie putt for his
eighth PGA Tour title. See the entire field
"I got lucky and hit a great shot in pretty close, but Tjaart hit the flag
after he birdied 17 and 18," said Faxon, who collected $774,000 for the win.
"Then he hit a good putt, it just hung out there to the right and I wasn't
going to take a whole lot of time on that putt of mine. I wanted to get it
over with."
For van der Walt, it was his first playoff on the PGA Tour. It was also his
best finish of the season by far. Prior to this week, his best finish this
year was a tie for 50th at the Buick Open in Michigan. "I got beat. I gave
it a good shot," van der Walt said. "I'm disappointed, but I'm not going to
be hard on myself. I'll just keep trying."
Michael Putnam, who turned professional after receiving a sponsor's
exemption into the tournament, fired a closing 7-under 63. He shared fourth
place at minus-12 with former British Open champion Ben Curtis and Jerry
Kelly.
Faxon got into red figures with a birdie on the par-4 second. He came back
two holes later with his second birdie. After a pair of pars, the Rhode
Island resident got to 8 under with a birdie on No. 7.
He made the turn at minus-9 thanks to a birdie on the ninth. Faxon made it
two straight as he birdied No. 10. He was not done either.
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