Rookie O'Hair confirms exceptional talent
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 John Deere Classic | Wrap | 11 Jul 2005
Rookie Sean O’Hair today confirmed what he had already shown two months earlier when finishing runner up to Ted Purdy at the Byron Nelson Championship, namely that he has a great future on the USPGA Tour.
His win today at the John Deere Classic, just a day short of his 23rd birthday, has almost assured him of “Rookie of the Year” status on the USPGA Tour in 2005 with over $US1.7 million dollars already to his name.
O’Hair’s is an interesting story. He left high school early on the encouragement of his father Marc and the family risked much of their savings in giving O’Hair the greatest opportunity to make it. They moved from Arizona to Florida where O’Hair teamed up with David Leadbetter and as soon as he was eligible he began chasing spots in tournaments via Monday qualifying. It was a tough road with little return but the talent he possesses is now starting to convert into results. Sadly he and his father had a fall out and have not spoken for some time. Into his sixth year as a professional he is only just about to turn 23 but has had maturity thrust on him with a wife and five month old daughter to care for.
Until this season O’Hair had not played a USPGA Tour event and had not exactly starred in several Nationwide Tour events over a five year period. This season however, after making it through all three stages of USPGA Tour qualifying in late 2004, he has stepped up to the plate and following a brief visit to the Nationwide Tour in March where he finished runner up at the Louisiana Open, he has not looked back.
His great week at the Byron Nelson followed respectable weeks at Pebble Beach, The Honda Classic and in New Orleans. It was in Dallas however, when he handled an unfamiliar situation with such aplomb that he made the golfing world take notice. This week, while many of the leading players were elsewhere, O’Hair was always well positioned after an opening round of 66 but it was his last round of 65 that would see him swamp the long time leader J. L. Lewis.
Starting the last round in 7th place and three behind Lewis, O’Hair was superb throughout the day, driving the ball brilliantly and hitting most greens on day four. He took advantage of many of the chances he created for himself but was helped by a lapse by Lewis, who bogeyed the last two holes. Lewis drove it perfectly at the par five 17th but then was long with his second. He took four more to get down and then playing the last he was tied with O’Hair who was already in the clubhouse. Again he drove it well but, left with 177 yards, he pulled his second into the water left and was forced to take a drop. In the end he did well to get up and down to finish in a share of second.
Robert Damron’s eagle at the 17th helped him into a share of second with Lewis and Hank Kuehne, who recorded his first top ten of what has been an ordinary season for him, and Mark Hensby who was valiant in his attempt to defend his title. Hensby reeled off a last round of 64 including a back nine of 31. Hensby now heads to the British Open for the first time with the knowledge that his game is in great shape and two top fives in majors already this year.
Brendan Jones was the next best of the Australians in 20th place, his second best finish of the year, John Senden was 29th, Michael Long 40th, Stephen Leaney 60th and Grant Waite 73rd.
The PGA Tour heads to both St Andrews and Endicott New York for the British Open and BC Open.
