Turning Stone remains a deadlock
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship | Round Four | 05 Oct 2009
Matt Kuchar and Vaughn Taylor will return to the Atunyote Golf Club in Vernon, New York, at 8.30am on Monday morning local time to decide the winner of the Turning Stone Resort Championship.
After two holes of a playoff to break the deadlock, darkness forced the players from the course after both made birdies at their first extra hole and parred the second. The pair had finished their 72 holes at 17 under, one shot ahead of Tim Petrovic and Leif Olson with John Senden and Jimmy Walker sharing 5th position one shot further back.
Taylor had led the event through 36 holes before a third round 71 cost him the lead but he bounced back with a round of 66 today, two late birdies forcing his way into a playoff with Kuchar who was playing 40 minutes Taylor in the final group of the day.
Both Kuchar and Taylor have won previously on the PGA Tour although it has been four years since Taylor last won and seven long years since Kuchar won in his rookie season.
Senden was the leading Australian although Rod Pampling also had a good week when he finished in a share of 7th. Pampling birdied his last three holes to make a lot of progress late. It will be enough to ensure Pampling retains his status or 2010.
Peter Lonard’s round of 63 was a course record although it will not count as such due to the lift clean and place ruling that was in place. For Lonard however it turns around a horror season. His stats all week have shown his ball striking is near its best. He led the Driving Accuracy stats and was 4th in Greens in Regulation. Today his putting improved and a round of 63 was the result. Lonard has four more events to try and regain his full status on the PGA Tour but this was a promising turnaround.
Nick O’Hern and James Nitties were 18th, Aaron Baddeley 29th, Adam Scott 35th, Matt Jones 42nd, Steve Elkington 47th, Michael Sim 55th, Stuart Appleby 59th, Nathan Green and Jarrod Lyle 64th and Aron Price 69th.
