Furyk claims it all in Atlanta
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 PGA Tour Championship | Round Four | 27 Sep 2010
Jim Furyk produced a remarkable bunker shot in damp and miserable conditions on the final hole of the FedEx Cup playoffs for his first Tour Championship, the FedEx Cup and the accompanying US$10 million, not to mention the US$1.35 million first prize this week.
After a season long hyped up contest, the FedEx Cup finally grew legs this week when the outcome remained in doubt until the final hole of the final event when Furyk’s heroics at the par three last at the East Lake Golf Club cost Luke Donald a playoff and one last chance at the huge bonus.
The difference between Donald winning this event – and therefore finishing atop the FedEx Cup points table – and where he eventually finished cost the Englishman US$8 million in FedEx Cup bonuses and a further US$540,000 being the difference between first and second in this event.
Following a weather delay mid round during today’s final round, the field returned to the course and played the final nine holes in at times heavy rain. Furyk was rock solid on an increasingly demanding golf course however and as the challengers began to drop away it was Donald who threatened to take the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup into extra time.
Donald holed a 35 metre chip at the 17th for and unlikely birdie to move within two of Furyk and when the leader bogeyed the 17th himself a few minutes later the difference was just one.
Furyk’s tee shot at the demanding par three last found the bunker right of the green and faced with damp sand and a shot of 15 metres he executed brilliantly. The ball stopped just over two feet from the hole and when he holed that it was all over.
Furyk capped off a great season with his third victory of the year and he is now well placed to win the Player of the Year title.
Donald was gallant in defeat and finished one shot back while Retief Goosen recovered from a slow start to his round to keep his hopes alive with just a few holes to play. A wild drive at the 17th cost him his chance of forcing the issue and he finished alone in third position ahead of the fast finishing Nick Watney and Paul Casey.
Watney’s weekend rounds of 63 and 67 were three shots better than Zach Johnson’s fast finish to the event. Johnson finished 9th.
The leading Australian was Geoff Ogilvy who faltered over the closing stages with a bogey at the 16th and a triple bogey at the 17th, eventually finishing 13th. Ogilvy was well enough placed heading into the final round and when he birdied the opening hole today it appeared as if he might be a factor. It was not to be.
Jason Day and Robert Allenby were the next best of the Australians in 17th position while Adam Scott finished a disappointing week in 27th place in the 30 man field.
The PGA Tour heads to Mississippi this week for the Viking Classic while the elite head to Wales for the Ryder Cup.
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