Davis Love won his first PGA title since 2003, firing a six-under par 66 on Sunday on a course he redesigned to take the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro by two strokes.
Sparked by three birdies in a row starting at the 13th hole, the 42-year-old US veteran collected his 19th career PGA triumph by finishing 72 holes at the $4,6-million event on 16-under par 272.
”It’s a big relief,” Love admitted. ”I came here with a brand new set of irons and a brand new ball. I just needed to start with a clean slate.”
Jason Bohn was second on an all-American leaderboard at 274 with rookie Eric Axley and veteran Steve Flesch sharing third on 275 and Ryan Palmer another stroke back.
Love’s best showing in 2006 was a runner-up finish to Australian Geoff Ogilvy at the World Golf Championship Match Play, but it was the exception in a difficult season that saw Love slide to 39th on the PGA money list.
In what was on pace to be his worst season since 1989, Love did not qualify or claim a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup after 12 consecutive years with berths on US teams.
He admitted that his drive to make the Ryder Cup team hindered his season.
”I learned a big lesson this year because I wanted the Ryder Cup so bad that I let it get in the way of everything else I was doing,” he said. ”It took over my golf life, became bigger than it really was. I was playing for the record, to make seven so I can make eight.
But Love erased a run of 76 tournaments without a title with excellent golf down the final holes in his return after a six-week break.
”I came in excited and ready to play rather than fearful that I was not going to play well and make the Ryder Cup team. People want me to win, they expect me to win and especially at a place like this, that’s been my problem — expectations, whether they’re mine or other people’s.”
Love, who revamped the Forest Oaks course in 2003, began the day with a share of the lead and opened with a pair of birdies. A birdie at the seventh was followed by a birdie at eight.
Love sank a birdie putt at the 10th from off the green and an eight-foot birdie at the 13th lifted him into a share of the lead at 14-under with fellow Americans Eric Axley and Jason Bohn.
A 10-foot birdie putt at the 14th gave Love sole possession of the lead at 15-under.
Southpaw Axley, who once led by three at 15-under, missed a six-foot uphill par putt at the par-3 17th to fall two strokes behind Love. He settled for a par at 18 while bogey-free Bohn could only par the last two holes.
”I played very nicely. It played very accessible out there,” Bohn said. ”You had to make birdies. Not to make a bogey was good for me.”
Love tapped in a birdie at the par-5 15th, giving him a two-stroke cushion with three holes remaining. Love parred them all, the last after a standing ovation as he walked onto the green.
”I’ve been up and down this year,” he said. ”It’s nice to be back.”
PGA rookie Axley (32) won his first PGA title three weeks ago at the Texas Open and charged after starting four strokes behind Love but could not hold on. – Sapa-AFP