O'Hair outclasses Quail Hollow field
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 Quail Hollow Championship | Round Four | 04 May 2009
Five weeks ago Sean O’Hair fell victim to a final round charge by Tiger Woods at Bay Hill but today he turned the tables on Woods and in doing so defeated a high class field on an outstanding golf course. Despite bogeys at his final two holes, O’Hair won the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte in North Carolina by one shot over Bubba Watson and Lucas Glover and by two over Woods.
This victory may do more to define the future career of the 26-year-old than anything that has gone before. It was brilliant display of high quality ball striking it on a layout that demanded nothing less. Firm fairways and fast greens ensured the winner this week would need to be on top of his game and while O’Hair may have not been at his best on the greens it was the manner in which he reached them that proved the difference in the end.
O’Hair’s swing has undergone significant change of late and importantly is stood up to the greatest scrutiny of all – tournament Sunday. A few weeks ago O’Hair explained the reasoning behind changing coaches in Canada last year.
“I just think the thing is, you know, the guy I had before, Steve Dahlby, I’ve worked with for basically a lot of my life. I’ve known him since I was about 12 years old. He’s a friend of mine. But just got to a point where it was way too inconsistent. I just didn’t feel like I knew where I was going with my game.”
“And so I just wanted to give this guy, Sean Foley, a try, and the guy is amazing, he really is. He explains it to you. I’ve learned more about my golf swing in the past, you know, half year than I have my whole entire life. I’ve changed my swing. And normally when you change your golf swing, you struggle for a certain period of time. I’ve improved.”
“So it gets me fired up and gets me to where I want to go on the range and go work on it. I mean, my putting has improved. My pitching has improved. My chipping has improved. Everything in my game has improved, and it allows me to go work on my mental side, and that helps me because I don’t have to go search on the range for three hours and not know what I’m doing. It’s an exciting time for me right now.”
Even when he lost some of his accuracy from the tee in today’s final round, O’Hair was still hitting plenty of greens and despite missing several very makeable opportunities throughout the final day he was doing enough to contend and eventually hold on.
This was a golf course where making a lot of ground for any in the field was a tough assignment and when he birdied six of twelve holes between the 5th and 16th O’Hair had created a cushion that would be enough to get the job done. Understandably he took the water out of play at the 17th and missed the green right which left an almost impossible up and down and the dropped shot left him only one ahead of Lucas Glover playing the last.
After a perfect tee shot and a second to 25 feet behind the hole at the last O’Hair opened the door for Glover by three putting. Glover, who was playing in the group behind, bogeyed the 17th after also missing the green right but was then unable to birdie the final hole to force the playoff.
It was O’Hair’s third PGA Tour victory following his 2005 John Deere Classic and 2008 PODS Championship victories.
Over the closing nine holes the tournament essentially developed into a three way battle between O’Hair, Watson and Glover while Woods teetered on the edge of joining the group at various stages. The defining point for Woods came when he three putted for par from 20 feet at the par five 15th. An eagle or birdie there might have changed the dynamics for those in the group behind but it was not to be and the chances of Woods once again spoiling O’Hair’s party had all but disappeared.
The group of six players sharing 5th place included Phil Mickelson whose 67 today was bettered only by Jonathan Byrd and Shaun Micheel who both recorded rounds of 66. Others in 5th position were Byrd, Tim Petrovic, Ted Purdy, Ian Poulter and Jason Dufner.
John Senden and Geoff Ogilvy shared the leading Australasian honours both finishing at 3 under par and in 32nd position.
Danny Lee will look back at his second event as a professional as a case of what might have been. Lee safely made the cut on Friday and then through 16 holes on Saturday was within one of the lead. A double bogey/bogey finish was costly but so too was his bogey/double bogey finish in round four. He finished in 38th position but he again showed just what a future he has with some outstanding golf for one of so little experience.
Mathew Goggin was 44th, Robert Allenby 49th and Aron Price 65th.
The PGA Tour will now head south to Jacksonville in the north east of Florida for this week’s Player Championship.
