Australia’s John Senden recorded his first USPGA Tour win on Sunday at the John Deere Classic and clinched a berth in the British Open.
Senden moved atop the leaderboard for good with a birdie on the 17th hole and parred the 18th after an impressive bunker shot to win the $4-million event.
An Australian who entered the tournament with three international victories, Senden carded a three-under-par 68 at the Deere Run course to finish at 19-under 265 and edge JP Hayes from the United States by one stroke.
Senden led all day until Hayes — playing a group ahead of him — birdied the par-5 17th to move to move into a tie at 18-under.
But Senden matched Hayes’ birdie to move to 19-under, then delivered his clutch bunker shot on the final hole, setting up an easy par putt to clinch his first PGA Tour title and a spot in next week’s British Open at Royal Liverpool.
”My actual lie in the bunker was a beautiful lie, an uphill lie,” Senden said.
”All I had to do was splash it out, and let it track down the hole.
”The green was quite flat, slightly downhill. Very flat. So, you know, I had to be positive and knocking that last putt in was fantastic.”
The Australian entered this week with eight top-10 finishes in 138 PGA starts. His best career finish was fifth in the last two Bob Hope Classics.
”Being a winner on Tour is a different kettle of fish,” said Senden, the fifth different Aussie to win this season.
”It is … not a monkey off your back, but something that is a dream that you can go out there and say, ‘Hey, look, I am a PGA Tour winner now. It is really exciting.”
German Alex Cejka and American Heath Slocum finished in a tie for third at 16-under.
Hayes, who won here in 2002 for his second and last PGA Tour title, recorded seven birdies and a bogey en route to a closing 65.
His round could have been even better, but he narrowly missed an eagle putt at number 17 that would have given him a one-shot lead.
”Some of the greens out here are difficult to read,” Hayes said. ”For me, that is one of them. I was unsure of the read.”
He had made just three cuts in eight events this year and was 203rd on the money list with $69 208 in earnings, but he took home $432 000 Sunday.
”I think I am more disappointed, really,” Hayes said. ”It is a great finish and all.
”But it is so close and especially in my limited schedule.”
Defending champion Sean O’Hair finished in a tie for 39th, 11 shots off the pace. – AFP
