Bridgestone Invitational
Firestone CC (South Course) - Akron, OH, USA
August 02 - 05, 2012
Defending Champion Adam Scott
Notes:
First the weather, it rained hard overnight then more on Sunday morning, forcing a 3 hour delay and softening the course, scoring dropped dramatically as a result..
Don't get me wrong Keegan Bradley went out and shot 64, including a clutch 15 footer to get up and down on the 72nd, but never looked like a winner over four days and 71 holes at Firestone
Jim Furyk was poised to finish off a wire-to-wire win at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational until he made double bogey from the middle of the 18th fairway.
His 5-foot bogey putt to at least get into a playoff never had a chance, and he immediately dropped his putter and bent over with a mixture of shock and disgust
Furyk led by one shot playing the 18th and got a huge break when his tee shot bounced out of the trees to the left and back into the fairway. That's where it all fell apart. His 7-iron went long, into a bunker and hopped out into the collar. He had to place his left foot in the sand to play a shot with the ball sitting up, and the delicate chip barely cleared the bunker and settled into more thick grass.
His 4th stopped 5 feet short and he then made what he called "the worst putt of my life" to not only miss a playoff, but to hand it to Bradley who had to put his hand over his mouth to hide the delight he was feeling on receiving such a present the week before he heads off to defend his PGA title at Kiawah Island..
"I led the golf tournament the entire way and lost it on the very last hole," Furyk said. "To get that close and to know that I played more than good enough to win the golf tournament, and not close the door, is disappointing. It is a cruel game. I've lost some tournaments in some pretty poor fashions, but I don't think I've let one ever slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event."
It was the 11th time this year -- and fourth time in the last five weeks -- that the winner came from at least four shots behind in the final round, remember Adam Scott at the Open just 3 short weeks ago..
Furyk was tied for the lead at the U.S. Open with three holes to play when he hooked his tee shot on the 16th hole, made bogey and never caught up. This time, he was in control at Firestone from his opening 63, all the way through the final round when he started with three straight birdies and made an 18-foot birdie on the 16th to seemingly hold off the late charge by Bradley.
Steve Stricker shot 64 to T2 at -12 with Furyk.. As for the others..
Louis Oosthuizen closed with a 69 to finish alone in fourth. Justin Rose (67) and Rory McIlroy (68) were another shot behind.
Tiger Woods played bogey-free for a 66, his lowest score since a 65 in the second round at Bay Hill at the end of March. He was never in the tournament, 11 shots behind going into the final round, though he picked up the tiniest of consolations. He now has back-to-back finishes in the top 10 on the PGA TOUR for the first time in nearly three years. And he at least heads to Kiawah Island feeling good about his game. (notes from pgatour.com)
Final Scoring click http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/leaderboards/current/r476/index.html
First the weather, it rained hard overnight then more on Sunday morning, forcing a 3 hour delay and softening the course, scoring dropped dramatically as a result..
Don't get me wrong Keegan Bradley went out and shot 64, including a clutch 15 footer to get up and down on the 72nd, but never looked like a winner over four days and 71 holes at Firestone
Jim Furyk was poised to finish off a wire-to-wire win at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational until he made double bogey from the middle of the 18th fairway.
His 5-foot bogey putt to at least get into a playoff never had a chance, and he immediately dropped his putter and bent over with a mixture of shock and disgust
Furyk led by one shot playing the 18th and got a huge break when his tee shot bounced out of the trees to the left and back into the fairway. That's where it all fell apart. His 7-iron went long, into a bunker and hopped out into the collar. He had to place his left foot in the sand to play a shot with the ball sitting up, and the delicate chip barely cleared the bunker and settled into more thick grass.
His 4th stopped 5 feet short and he then made what he called "the worst putt of my life" to not only miss a playoff, but to hand it to Bradley who had to put his hand over his mouth to hide the delight he was feeling on receiving such a present the week before he heads off to defend his PGA title at Kiawah Island..
"I led the golf tournament the entire way and lost it on the very last hole," Furyk said. "To get that close and to know that I played more than good enough to win the golf tournament, and not close the door, is disappointing. It is a cruel game. I've lost some tournaments in some pretty poor fashions, but I don't think I've let one ever slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event."
It was the 11th time this year -- and fourth time in the last five weeks -- that the winner came from at least four shots behind in the final round, remember Adam Scott at the Open just 3 short weeks ago..
Furyk was tied for the lead at the U.S. Open with three holes to play when he hooked his tee shot on the 16th hole, made bogey and never caught up. This time, he was in control at Firestone from his opening 63, all the way through the final round when he started with three straight birdies and made an 18-foot birdie on the 16th to seemingly hold off the late charge by Bradley.
Steve Stricker shot 64 to T2 at -12 with Furyk.. As for the others..
Louis Oosthuizen closed with a 69 to finish alone in fourth. Justin Rose (67) and Rory McIlroy (68) were another shot behind.
Tiger Woods played bogey-free for a 66, his lowest score since a 65 in the second round at Bay Hill at the end of March. He was never in the tournament, 11 shots behind going into the final round, though he picked up the tiniest of consolations. He now has back-to-back finishes in the top 10 on the PGA TOUR for the first time in nearly three years. And he at least heads to Kiawah Island feeling good about his game. (notes from pgatour.com)
Final Scoring click http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/leaderboards/current/r476/index.html
Champions Tour note..
2012 3M Championship
Blaine, Minnesota
Langer wins in style..
pgatour.com Bernhard Langer shot 10-under 62 and outdueled David Peoples to win for the second time in four years at the 3M Championship. Trailing Peoples by four strokes at the turn, Langer birdied four of the first six holes on the back nine, catching Peoples with a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 15. Langer then seized the lead for good when Peoples made bogey at the par-4 16th . He missed the green with his second shot, pitched 15 feet past the hole and failed to convert on his par effort. Langer then closed out the tournament in style, hitting his second shot on the par-5 finishing hole with a hybrid club to within eight feet of the flag. His two-putt birdie at No. 18, coupled with Peoples’ bogey from the sand at the par-3 17th temporarily moved the margin to three shots and ended any further suspense.
Bernhard Langer wins the 3M Championship for the second time in four years (2009)and came from six strokes back to win, the largest final-round comeback in tournament history.
Jim Rutledge T39 70 70 71 -5, Rod Spittle T59 E 72 72 72
Final scores click http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/current/s568/
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles and at www.isr1050.com and hosting 7-9am at www.nextsportstar.com
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