Australian Geoff Ogilvy drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the second play-off hole on Sunday to win his first United States PGA Tour title in the $3-million Tucson event.
Kevin Na, the youngest player on tour, and Mark Calcavecchia were in the play-off with Ogilvy after finishing 72 holes at 19-under-par 269.
Ogilvy, who had finished second three times on tour, carded a one-under 71 on Sunday and had trouble down the stretch with two bogeys and no birdies on the back nine.
”Very rarely, actually, do you get the chance that I got today in that you can play semi-poorly on the back nine and still get it done,” Ogilvy said. ”That doesn’t happen often. It feels pretty good.”
Calcavecchia entered the final round tied for fourth and got into the play-off with a 69, while Na was tied with Ogilvy for the 54-hole lead and needed a birdie on 18 to join the play-off.
The trio went back to the par-four 18th to start the play-off, where Calcavecchia was eliminated after a double bogey. His second shot found a green side bunker and he needed two shots to get out.
”It’s tough. The way I play golf these days, I’m not going to be in that kind of position that many times,” said the 44-year-old Calcavecchia. ”It’s hard to have a chance to win with the state of my game and my age and how my body feels.”
Ogilvy had a chance to win with a birdie putt from 28 feet but had to settle for par. Na extended the play-off another hole by draining a 27-footer.
”I thought I had it done,” Ogilvy said. ”Every time you think something like that they make par.”
After both players drove in the rough on the par-five 10th, Ogilvy punched out 100 yards from the green while Na took a shot at the flag and rolled his ball to the back fringe. Ogilvy’s third shot put him 18 feet away, while Na chipped to eight feet.
Ogilvy then calmly sank his birdie putt and Na failed to convert for his second runner-up finish of the season.
”I laid up to a good spot and I hit a pretty good pitch shot,” Ogilvy said. ”Kevin kind of let me off the hook a little bit.”
”That chip was so quick, I don’t think it was that far off from being a good chip,” Na said. ”It was about eight feet, 10 feet by. That gives him hope if he makes it that I’m going to miss it, and that’s exactly what happened.”
It was the perfect tournament for golfers bidding for a first win, as the world’s top-ranked golfers were participating in the World Match Play Championships outside San Diego. — Sapa-AFP