Bizarre finish at Frys.com Open
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Frys.com Open | Round Four | 18 Oct 2010
It was a case of having to see it to believe and even then those who braved the wet conditions on day four of the Frys.com Open in San Martin in California could be forgiven for still not believing what they had just witnessed.
47 year old Rocco Mediate, without a PGA Tour victory in eight seasons and in jeopardy of losing his playing rights for 2011, survived the most amazing roller coaster of rides on the final day to win by one shot over Bo Van Pelt and Alex Prugh.
Throughout the course of the week, Mediate pitched in for eagle on three occasions and just for good measure holed in one at the third hole of his opening round en route to an opening nine of 29 on Thursday.
Despite Mediate’s heroics and that he had taken a three shot lead into the final round, it became apparent through nine holes of day four that he would not get everything his own way. He dropped five shots in his opening 12 holes and eventually lost the outright lead for the first time all week when he bogeyed the 12th. Three holes later, when his playing partner Bo Van Pelt birdied the 15th, he had slipped behind.
With the momentum working so much against him, Mediate managed a 20 footer for birdie at the 16th but it seemed that might not be enough especially with the reachable par four 17th to come. Well, perhaps reachable for players such as Van Pelt, Rickie Fowler and Alex Prugh but not for Mediate.
Mediate took his only option from the tee at the 17th laying up 116 yards from the hole. Van Pelt found the green some 25 feet from the hole with his tee shot. So too did the third member of their group, Alex Prugh who not only found the green but almost holed his tee shot.
Mediate, now facing the prospect of falling one behind Van Pelt, holed his pitching wedge for an eagle and leapt to a two shot lead. Van Pelt still had an eagle chance himself of course but fortunes changed very quickly when he three putted and Mediate headed to the last with a two shot lead over Van Pelt, Prugh (who converted his eagle opportunity) and Fowler, the latter of who was already in the clubhouse at 13 under.
Mediate, Van Pelt and Prugh all found the green at the last but Van Pelt was first to go and with one last throw of the dice he holed from 45 feet for birdie. Mediate ran his first putt four feet by and when Prugh holed his birdie putt it became a case of Mediate either holing for the win or missing and a three way playoff ensuing.
Mediate’s putt poured into the hole and his future on the PGA Tour was again assured. Van Pelt and Prugh, the 2009 New Zealand Open winner, tied for second while Fowler finished alone in 4th position.
It was simply some of the most bizarre, gripping golf witnessed in recent times.
Aaron Baddeley was the best of the Australians when he finished in 30th position but he still finds himself which might just be enough to keep him inside the top 125 at season’s end. There are now just two events remaining in the Fall Series, the next of those being the Justin Timberlake event in Las Vegas next week.
