INCAgolf All you ever wanted to know about golf (well almost)

Brandt Snedeker wins playoff to claim victory at The Heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — The toughest part of Brandt Snedeker’s day was spent in the clubhouse.

Snedeker posted an out-of-nowhere 7-under 64 on Sunday to come from six shots behind to finish in the lead at The Heritage nearly two hours before the round ended.

First … For Now
Lee Westwood regained the No. 1 ranking Sunday. But if we’ve learned anything over the past six months, he shouldn’t get too comfortable. Story

So Snedeker headed inside to watch, wait and see if he’d get back on the course. He eventually did, beating Luke Donald in a playoff Sunday and denying the Englishman a chance at No. 1.

“It was brutal,” Snedeker said of his time in front of the TV.

“I don’t want them to do bad, but I don’t want them to do great, either.”

In the end, Snedeker had the great finish, surviving against one of the world’s best in a gritty three-hole playoff for his second career PGA Tour win and first since the 2007 Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., in his rookie season.

“To win this time, after all the hard work I put in the last three or four years, trying to improve, trying to get better,” he said. “I feel like my game is finally there.”

It certainly was at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Snedeker birdied seven of his first 12 holes to grab the lead just as the final pair of Donald and defending champion Jim Furyk teed off. Then Snedeker closed the final round with a 12-foot birdie putt on the signature, closing lighthouse hole at No. 18.

“It’s a storybook ending really, to be playing Luke in a playoff, to even have a chance to win was exciting to me,” he said.

Donald would’ve risen to the top spot in the world from No. 3 had he won. His countryman, Lee Westwood, moved from No. 2 to No. 1, replacing Martin Kaymer, after winning the Indonesian Masters earlier Sunday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — In yet another showcase of golf’s future, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero won the Malaysian Open on Sunday to capture his second European Tour title and upstage a remarkable recovery by Rory McIlroy.

Manassero, two days before his 18th birthday, began the back nine by holing his approach for eagle on the par-5 10th and making a birdie on the next hole to surge into the lead. He closed with a 4-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Gregory Bourdy of France.

Matteo Manassero will turn 18 in two days but has already collected his second professional win after claiming the Malaysian Open.
McIlroy did everything except win in his first tournament after a Masters collapse.

The 21-year-old from Northern Ireland, who lost a four-shot lead last week at Augusta National and shot 80 in the final round, needed a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff with Manassero. The putt never had a chance, and McIlroy wound up three-putting for a bogey that gave him a 69 and third place alone.

McIlroy will move to No. 7 in the world, one spot behind Tiger Woods.

It capped a whirlwind week for McIlroy, who was celebrated in defeat for how graciously he handled his 43 on the back nine at the Masters. He flew from Augusta to Malaysia with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, and even posted a photo on Twitter that showed him posing with the South African in his green jacket. “Glad one of us has a green jacket on!” said his tweet.
McIlroy had the 36-hole lead in Malaysia, but lost ground during the 27-hole final Sunday caused by rain delays.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=6374374

Iincagolf Photo by Pat Eastman

LUTZ, Florida (AP)—John Cook birdied a playoff hole to win the OutbackSteahouse Pro-Am on Sunday from Jay Don Blake.

Cook, who shot 9 under for the tournament, picked up his second ChampionsTour win this season after winning the Mitsubishi Electric Championship atHualalai in January. He had a two-stroke lead over Blake before posting a doublebogey on the 18th for a 2-over 73 after Blake had birdied the hole to shoot 70.

His second shot into the water forced Cook to drop, and a two-putt gave hima 6 on the par-4 18th.

Blake, who played on qualifier status for most of the 2010 season, eventhough he had seven top-10 finishes, including a third place, has not had aprofessional win since 1991, when he won the Shearson Lehman Brothers Open.

Russ Cochran, who held a two-stroke lead after the first round Friday,finished tied for third at 7 under after shooting a 74. Joe Ozaki was also at 7under.

Cook jumps up to second in the Charles Schwab Cup Standings at 560 points,134 behind leader Tom Lehman, who also has two Champions wins this season.

Blake moves up 14 spots and now has 215 points through four events.

INNISBROOK