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

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Ben Crane wasn’t sure why he was even playing the McGladrey Classic. The real mystery came Sunday afternoon, when he sat down next to a shiny silver trophy.

“What the heck am I doing here?” Crane said.

His wife is expecting their third child, though a Caesarian section is scheduled for Monday in Dallas. Crane thought about withdrawing five minutes before his tee time Thursday because of a sore hip that was getting worse.

And with 11 holes left in the tournament, he was seven shots out of the lead.

Crane ran off four straight birdies around the turn, then another batch of four straight birdies for a 7-under 63. He wound up winning in a playoff when Webb Simpson missed a short par putt on the second extra hole.

“I’m in a little bit of shock — a lot of shock,” Crane said. “I don’t know how those guys played, but I know I played just about as good as I can play.”

Michael Thompson, a 25-year-old TOUR rookie who had a one-shot lead going into the final round, stretched the margin to three shots on the front nine until he stalled. He hit his tee shot into a hazard on the 18th hole, made bogey and shot 69 to finish one shot out of the playoff.

Billy Horschel, also playing in the last group, imploded early and late and shot 75.

Simpson closed with a 66, despite not making a birdie over his last seven holes. The playoff — the 18th this year on the PGA TOUR to extend a record — looked as though it might go longer when Crane made a 5-foot comebacker for par on the 17th. Simpson only had to knock in a putt just over 3 feet for par, but it caught the right edge and spun away.

“As soon as I hit it, I looked up expecting it to be going in, and saw it catching the right lip,” Simpson said. “It was unfortunate to end that way.”

Despite missing a chance to become the PGA TOUR’s only three-time winner this year, Simpson’s runner-up finish gave him a commanding lead over Luke Donald in his late bid to win the TOUR’s money title.

Shot of the Day
Ben Crane drains this 22-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole.
Crane, who earned $720,000 for his first win this year, and Simpson finished at 15-under 265 at Sea Island.

Starting the day five shots out of the lead, Crane thought a 63 or 62 might be enough. He really didn’t pay much attention, not realizing until he saw a leaderboard on the 16th hole that he was still in the game.

His 7-iron on the 14th stopped a foot from going in. His 3-wood on the par-5 15th set up a two-putt birdie from long range. Once he knew the score, Crane was at his best with the putter, holing birdie putts of about 20 feet on the 16th and 17th.

“I thought, `Well, I need to make two birdies in three holes.’ Do you guys have any idea how many times we say that to ourselves? And how many times does it actually happen?”

It did on Sunday, giving Crane is fourth career win.

http://www.pgatour.com/2011/r/10/16/wrap-McGladrey-4/index.html

SAN MARTIN, Calif. — A male spectator ran onto a green shouting Tiger Woods’ name and then threw a hot dog at him Sunday during the final round of the Frys.com Open in Northern California.

“I could hear the security behind me. I was still bent over my putt. And when I looked up (the hot dog) was already in the air.”– Tiger Woods

The unidentified person was quickly subdued and Woods was not in any danger. In fact, within a minute, he had settled back over the putt he was attempting.

“I looked up and the hot dog was in the air,” Woods said of the incident that occurred on the seventh hole, his 16th of the day. “(The fan) wanted to be in the news. I guess he is now.”

The tournament’s director of security, Dan Diggins, would not disclose the person’s name. “He’s just an idiot,” Diggins said. He added the 31-year-old man didn’t get within 40 feet of Woods, who was finishing up the Frys.com Open with a final-round 68.

Sgt. Jose Cardoza of the Santa Clara County police department said the 31-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor. He was escorted from the property.

Cardoza said only that the man was from Santa Rosa.

“He was very cooperative,” Cardoza said. “They said, ‘Why did you do this?’ He just shook his head in guilt or remorse. He didn’t give a reason why he did it.”

Cardoza said the man claims he wasn’t throwing the hot dog at Woods, rather tossing it in the air. He said the man acknowledged having a drink earlier in the day, but that the man was not drunk.

Harig: Tiger’s Momentum Lost?
Tiger Woods’ game appeared to turn the corner at the Frys.com Open, but whether he can capitalize on it remains to be seen, writes ESPN.com’s Bob Harig. Column

“How weird was that,” said Arjun Atwal, one of the other players in Woods’ group. “That guy could have been shot the way he ran out there with that hot dog. The cops could have thought it was something else. The hot dog flew across Tiger’s (putting) line and onto my line. The bun kind of fell at his feet. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Woods said that it appeared the person wanted and expected to be arrested.

http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/7081746/golf-fan-arrested-tossing-hot-dog-tiger-woods

SAN MARTIN, Calif. — Bryce Molder knows better than most that there’s no sure thing in golf.

That wasn’t the case when he left Georgia Tech nearly a decade ago after being an All-American all four years. And it certainly wasn’t the case Sunday at the Frys.com Open in the longest playoff of the year on the PGA Tour.

Molder captured his first tour victory by making a 6-foot birdie putt on the sixth playoff hole to outlast Briny Baird.

Harig: Tiger’s Momentum Lost?
Tiger Woods’ game appeared to turn the corner at the Frys.com Open, but whether he can capitalize on it remains to be seen, writes ESPN.com’s Bob Harig. Column

“It’s a little surreal right now,” Molder said.

Molder and Baird were stuck in time, going from the 17th hole to the 18th hole in three cycles, matching birdies and pars, both players feeling at various points that they were going to win.

Three times, Molder hit driver on the 284-yard 17th hole over the water and had eagle putts for the win, each one a little closer to the hole than the previous one, all of them sliding by the side of the cup.

On the fourth extra hole, Baird felt like a winner when Molder drove into the hazard. Molder was able to get to the front of the green from the junk, while Baird’s wedge hit the top of the flag and spun back some 12 feet. He missed.

After nearly two hours, Baird blinked and Molder finally made a putt to win.

http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/7082654/bryce-molder-wins-cordevalle-6-playoff-holes

Oct 2 (Reuters) – Known for being one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour, Kevin Na had to wait until almost the end of his eighth year on the U.S. circuit before celebrating his first victory.

The South Korea-born American finally broke through after holding off the challenge of world number 11 Nick Watney at the Las Vegas Open on Sunday, triumphing by two shots at the TPC Summerlin. [ID:nN1E79105F]

“It wasn’t easy,” Las Vegas resident Na told reporters after earning a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a cheque for $792,000 with his long-awaited victory.

“Nick was coming right behind me, and it looked like any time he was going to make a move. I tried as best as I could to stay one step ahead of him. The putt on 17 basically sealed the deal for me.”

Na rolled in a 43-footer at the par-three 17th to stretch his lead to two shots, a putt he prayed would break right shortly before the ball reached the cup.

“It was left off the start and the putt goes right at the end,” the 28-year-old said. “It was perfect, right on line where I wanted it, just left of the hole about three inches.

“Then I just kneeled down on one knee and was just praying that thing would come back. And sure enough it did. When I made that putt, I felt like I had the tournament in the bag.”

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/03/golf-pga-na-idUKN1E79108D20111003

ATLANTA — Bill Haas had a sinking feeling when he heard the gallery groan, the first indication that his shot had tumbled down the slope and into the lake. When he saw the ball only half-submerged in water, Haas figured he still had the slightest chance.

To somehow save par.

Against all odds, to stay alive in his sudden-death playoff with Hunter Mahan at the Tour Championship, the richest playoff in golf history with FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus riding on the outcome.

Harig: Playoff Problems

The fact that one player claimed both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title was by no means a sure thing. That alone shows the playoff system still needs fixing, writes ESPN.com’s Bob Harig. Column

“It was an all or nothing shot,” Haas said. “So if I don’t pull it off, I’m shaking Hunter’s hand.”

As he did through the final, frenzied hour at East Lake on Sunday, it worked to near perfection. Haas splashed the ball out onto the green to 3 feet for par, then won the Tour Championship — and the FedEx Cup — on the third extra playoff hole.

In the five-year history of this FedEx Cup, no finish was more compelling.

A handful of players had a shot at the $10 million with an hour left in the tournament until it came down to two — Haas and Mahan, in a sudden-death playoff with such high stakes that the difference between winning and losing was nearly $10 million.

Haas wound up winning a combined $11.44 million, including $10 million for capturing the FedEx Cup. Mahan, who failed to save par from a bunker on the third extra hole, had to settle for $864,000 as the runner-up and $700,000 for finishing seventh in the FedEx Cup.

Haas won for the first time this year, and the payoff could be more than just a massive bank deposit. Fred Couples makes his final captain’s pick on Tuesday for the Presidents Cup, and Haas put on quite a show.

“I did what I could do,” Haas said.

Even if Couples wasn’t watching, his assistant captain had a great view: Jay Haas, Bill’s dad, was in the gallery at East Lake, and raised his arms as his 29-year-old son delivered the riveting conclusion.

“I’m proud of him the way he came back,” Jay Haas said.

Only a week ago, Haas was poised to make the Presidents Cup on his own until a 42 on the back nine at Cog Hill. He was atop the leaderboard Saturday at East Lake until a bogey-double bogey finish.

And he almost let it get away from him again. Haas had a three-shot lead when he walked off the 15th green, only to make bogey from the trees on the 16th and bogey from the gallery on the 18th for a 2-under 68.

Mahan had to make par on the 232-yard closing hole. He hit a clutch chip — the biggest weakness in his game — and holed a 5-foot par putt for a 71 to join Haas in the high-stakes playoff.

They returned to the par-3 18th and the pressure was obvious with so much money at stake. Haas hit his shot well right, into the gallery for the third straight time, then hit a tough chip to 10 feet. Mahan went in the bunker and blasted out to 6 feet. Haas appeared to be down to his last shot, but holed the par putt to stay alive.

What followed was an amazing turnaround.

From the right bunker, his approach to the 17th on the second playoff hole tumbled down the hill and barely into the lake, the top half of the ball still showing. Mahan hit a pitching wedge to 15 feet, and must have thought the $11.44 million was his.

Mahan was in that same lake on Thursday when he removed his socks and shoes and played back to the fairway, so when he saw what Haas had done, he knew it wasn’t over. He just didn’t think — no one did, really — that Haas could hit such a spectacular shot.

“I thought I had won on the second playoff hole, and then he hits it out of the water to 2 feet,” Mahan said. “So it seemed like he was destined to win this week.”

Water splashed upward, and the ball settled 3 feet away. Mahan’s birdie putt just missed on the high side of the cup.

Back to the 18th for the third time in less than an hour, Haas avoided the gallery this time and went left of the green. Mahan again found the bunker, only this time he blasted out some 15 feet by the hole and missed. Haas chipped to 3 feet and holed it for the biggest putt of his young career.

He calmly pumped his fist toward the green and let out a huge sigh.

“I’m very fortunate,” Haas said. “This is pretty unbelievable.”

Haas was at No. 25 in the FedEx Cup, making him the lowest seed to capture golf’s biggest prize. He joins a distinguished list of FedEx Cup winners that includes Tiger Woods (twice), Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.

This FedEx Cup took more math skills than usual, yet it turned out to be the most compelling.

In the final hour of the Tour Championship, eight players were still in the mix for the $10 million prize.

Webb Simpson, the top seed, closed with a 73 and finished alone in 22nd, making it possible for anyone who won the Tour Championship — except for Aaron Baddeley — to pass him.

Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world, made birdie on the 18th hole for a 69. He needed a three-way tie for second to capture the FedEx Cup, and could have done it had Mahan and Baddeley both made bogey on No. 18 in regulation. Both made par.

Donald wound up in a tie for third with K.J. Choi, who needed birdie on the 18th to get into the playoff. Choi shot 70.

Charles Howell III also needed a birdie to get into the playoff, but came up well left of the green on No. 18 and made bogey. Jason Day had a 30-foot birdie putt to join the playoff and gave it strong run. He missed a meaningless 4-footer coming back and made bogey.

It came down to Haas and Mahan, and an ending no one imagined. Haas hit two balls into the gallery, another into the lake, and still managed to win two trophies.

http://espn.go.com/golf/story/_/id/7020092/bill-haas-outlasts-hunter-mahan-playoff-wins-tour-championship-fedex-cup