Furyk continues remarkable year with Buick Open win
IN: News | US PGA | Buick Open (2003) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 04 Aug 2003
Jim Furyk today outlasted a quality field to win the Buick Open in Michigan and in doing so has moved to second place on the 2003 money list and within US$400,000 of this week's joint runner up Tiger Woods.
This was Furyk's second win of the season following his US Open win and his 13th top ten in nineteen starts in 2003. It also comes just two weeks after a horror British Open where he missed the cut by several shots.
Just two bogeys in the tournament told the story for Furyk as he produced a brilliant display of accuracy and putting to hold out challenges from Woods, Geoff Ogilvy, Briny Baird and Chris DiMarco to win by two. Just before we move off the subject of Woods and for those who feel he is still struggling, a reminder that he has now had eight top fives and four wins in twelve starts this season. Whether he uses a Nike driver or a Titleist he is simply awesome.
For Ogilvy he has once again displayed that brilliance combined with inconsistency that he has become know for. Having missed his last six cuts, he had no right to be shooting a last round 65, the best of the day, to grab a share of the lead late in the tournament before a stumble of seventeen and a brilliant Furyk got the better of him. But that is Ogilvy to a very large extent. At his best he is as good as any of the Australians in world golf but as has been his bugbear for some time, he seems unable to put a lot of good finishes together. He did so once earlier in the season when third and seventh in consecutive weeks but lost his way again soon after.
Paul Gow's remarkable performance to remain in contention for so long throughout the event in finishing eighth with so little recent exposure to contention, speaks a lot for a decision three months ago to stick with got him to this level of the game, rather than experiment too much. He is now back working with his earlier coach Gary Edwin but it is perhaps too early to say whether that is the reason for his new found form. Still he is on track and although he has much work to do in the last few months of the season the signs are good.
Stuart Appleby was 24th, Craig Perks 32nd, Mathew Goggin and Grant Waite 50th, Greg Chalmers 57th and Steve Alker 70th.
The PGA Tour now moves to Colorado for The International.
