Furyk back to winning ways in Florida
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Transitions Championship | Round Four | 22 Mar 2010
Jim Furyk has won his first official PGA Tour event since the 2007 Canadian Open with a narrow and hard fought victory at the Transitions Championship at Palm Harbour outside of Tampa in Florida.
It was only the third time Furyk had played this event and he was forced to hold off several previous winners at the Innisbrook A Salamander Golf and Spa Resort in order to win by one over K.J. Choi.
Furyk finished off 2009 in style putting together several very good tournaments late in the season including a win at the unofficial Chevron Challenge. He has not been quite so good in his first few events of 2010 and with two very ordinary finishes in his two times to this event previously he was not at the top of many people’s list as a likely winner.
Furyk however appeared to have a winning edge when he took a three shot lead over Bubba Watson, Carl Petterson and defending champion Retief Goosen into the final round and two birdies in his first three holes further confirmed his chances of victory.
Furyks’ round developed into a roller coaster from there however and at one stage in the middle of his front nine today he was caught by Choi when the Korean birdied four of his first six holes.
Furyk broke clear once again when he birdied the 8th to move one clear of Choi and three clear of Bubba Watson but it would be a 35 foot putt at the 12th that appeared to give Furyk an unassailable lead especially for one of his experience.
It would prove to be that way but it was not without a fight from Choi who put together a strong back nine to stay in touch. Furyk’s near disaster at the final hole, when he all but shanked his second from the right rough, gave Choi a chance but the Korean found trouble also with his tee shot and never gave himself an opportunity to capitalise on Furyk’s mistake.
Choi might just sneak inside the top 50 as a result of his runner up finish and if so then his chances of playing his 8th consecutive Masters have taken a big leap forward.
Bubba Watson moved in to calculations when he birdied the 10th and 11th but a bogey at the par three 15th cost him any winning chance. It was however Watson’s second top three of the season and his first win must come soon it would seem, perhaps at Quail Hollow where he finished runner up last year.
Nick Watney finished alone in 4th position while defending champion Retief Goosen finished 5th after being in contention for much of the week. Goosen’s chances of another great week at Augusta National are improving each week.
The leading Australasian was Nick O’Hern who finished 8th although two late bogeys proved costly as he looked to improve what has been a slow start to 2010. O’Hern found the water at the 16th then bogeyed the par three 17th after missing the green. He did however make a fine par save at the last to secure a top ten finish and a cheque for US$145,000.
Greg Chalmers was 16th, James Nitties 20th, Steve Elkington 25th, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and John Senden 28th, Nathan Green and Tim Wilkinson 46th, Mathew Goggin and Rod Pampling 55th and Jason Day 61st.
The PGA Tour now moves back across Florida to Orlando to the Arnold Palmer Championship at Bay Hill.
