Crane claims wire-to-wire victory in Milwaukee
IN: News | US PGA | US Bank Championship (2005) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 25 Jul 2005
Ben Crane today won his second PGA Tour title and went about putting behind him the slow play concerns that have plagued him and caused him to incur the wrath of many of his colleagues.
After his four shot win in today's US Bank Championship in Milwaukee, Crane told the CBS interviewer that he was continuing to work on that area of his game and while it was not easy to just flick a switch and get faster he was continuing to work on the problem and is making progress.
It is agonising watching him over the ball wondering if he is ever going to pull the trigger but one thing is for sure is that when he does so, the results are coming thick and fast. Although he was out of the game for a couple of months earlier this year through injury, he has shown in the events he has played in recent weeks that he is one of the most impressive emerging players on the PGA Tour. Now into his fourth season he has impressed and improved each year. His win early in his second season in 2003 at the BellSouth Classic highlighted the talent the man possessed but it has been this season which has seen him take a big step forward.
His runner up placing at the Booz Allen event came under duress after his playing partner Rory Sabatini had stormed off ahead of him in the last round at Congressional that week as a statement against Crane's pace of play. Clearly a steely and determined character, Crane was able to hole a 30 foot put at the last to share second that week and then just last week he fired a last round 64 to nearly catch the log jam of players ahead of him heading into the final day at the BC Open.
This week Crane, statistically the PGA Tour's best putter, led from his opening round of 62 and never really gave those chasing a look in although Scott Verplank did briefly catch him in round three. Verplank is also one of best putters on tour and they shared the putting honours here with Crane finishing number one and Verplank number two in putting stats for the week.
If Verplank was looking to put pressure on Crane early in today's round, he got just the start he wasn't looking for when he bogeyed the first. When Crane birdied the second the cushion appeared, even at that early stage, to be almost too great and although Crane bogeyed the fourth, his eagle from just off the green at the 6th put paid to any real danger. Verplank was not the same player today as he had been earlier in the week, missing too many fairways and greens to be able to apply any pressure.
Bogeys at the 7th and 13th were of no real concern for Crane as there was no pressure being applied from behind and he was able to cruise to the line and enjoy the moment as he secured the US$684,000 to take his 2005 earnings to $US1.31 million.
Verplank, who has not won in nearly four years (Canadian Open 2001), was runner up for the fourth time in the interim and although the victories have not come his way, he has won over US$8 million since that last win.
Chad Campbell finally found some form after a perhaps disappointing run since his runner up placing at the Nissan Open in February. His late charge when he produced five birdies in the last six holes today made him a lot of ground and money.
Two time winner of this event Jeff Sluman was alone in fourth with Steve Elkington and Chris Smith sharing fifth.
This was Elkington's best finish since his runner up placing at the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield. He has looked very good on occasions this year, more especially when 6th at the Players Championship. At the top of his game, Elkington is one of the best there is and he appears to be closing in on some good form.
Of the other Australasians in the field, Stephen Leaney was 14th, Bradley Hughes and Steve Allan 29th, and Michael Long 40th.
