Brad Faxon's last round 61 wins Buick title

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 Buick Championship | Wrap | 29 Aug 2005

A golf course measuring less then 7000 yards played in soft conditions with little breeze is not often going to offer a tough challenge for a USPGA Tour field and when overnight rain softened what had been a firm TPC at River Highlands layout, the leaderboard attendants at the Buick Championship knew they were in for a busy day.

When Brad Faxon set out today he was in 10th place and seven shots behind overnight leader Justin Rose and likely thinking that a low round might get him a top five. So quickly out of the gates was he however, that by the time he reached the turn some forty minutes ahead of the last group, the possibility of a win was not the forlorn hope it had been two hours earlier. He had played the front nine in 31 and within another thirty minutes had added three more birdies to reach 12 under and had taken a share of the lead with South African Tjaart Van der Walt.

Faxon birdied twice more at the short par four 15th and then at the par three 16th and as he stood on the 17th tee, not only was victory in his sights but so too was the possibility of a 59. Two more birdies would see him break the magical barrier and win with comfort but the 17th at the TPC at River Highlands is a tough driving hole and not wanting to take any chances with his tee shot, Faxon made sure any miss would be left. It was and he came to rest on a cart path from where was forced to take a drop in the rough. With little real control from there, he found the green but was a long way from the flag. He two putted for par and then at the 18th, after missing the green with his second, he was able to save par with a bump and run with his fairway wood.

His 61 today and his 14 under total had therefore set the target for those behind and very soon there were two golfers who still had a chance.

Van der Walt bogeyed the 16th after a three putt but then hit his second at the 17th to fourteen feet and holed it to move within one. Could he birdie the last? That was soon answered with a magnificent drive and pitching wedge to five feet and when he holed the sliding left to righter he had joined Faxon in the lead at 14 under. Only Justin Rose was left to increase the number of those invited back to the 18th tee to three.

After a mid round lapse where the Englishman had dropped three shots in five holes, he birdied the par five 13th, the short par four 15th and then from 14 feet added another at the 16th. He was now at 13 under and within one. He made par at the 17th and at the last, needing a birdie to tie, he pulled his tee shot left. He had a good angle to the flag and only 120 yards or so to negotiate, but it came out a lot softer than he had hoped and although it was only 25 feet from the hole it was just off the green making the control just that much more difficult. He missed and would settle for third, one behind the playoff.

At the first playoff hole Faxon drove first and found the left hand fairway bunker. Van der Walt hit a drive that flirted with the right hand trap but kicked back into the fairway and was left with only 120 yards or so to the hole – advantage to the South African – or so it seemed.

Faxon was far enough back in the bunker to not be affected by the lip and hit a beautiful second which will no doubt stay in his mind for some time. It pitched alongside the hole and came to rest only two feet away. Now the dynamics had changed. Instead of looking at a birdie to win, the South African need to hit something very special just to tie. He did just that, but not special enough. His putt from 10 feet ran across the edge and Faxon’s putt was a formality.

It has been four and a half years since the now eight time winner on the USPGA Tour, Faxon, had won but despite that, he has remained a prolific money winner. At this level though, winning is what it is all about and he clearly enjoyed being back in the winner’s circle.

Van der Walt will be disappointed not to have won but he will be delighted with a breakthrough week on the PGA Tour. Playing on a medical exemption in 2005, the result of a wrist injury in mid 2004, his best in ten starts in 2005 prior to this week had been 50th so there was no indication that such a performance was on the cards, at least to those outside the Van der Walt camp that is. There had been a couple of top tens on the Nationwide Tour earlier in the season when waiting for a start on the PGA Tour, but there had been nothing close to this effort.

The runner up purse here will now ensure that he has full exemption for 2006 as he had 17 events in 2005 to get to match the $623,000 of the number 125 in season 2004. He is now past that and the way is clear for what appear to be brighter times ahead. Van Der Walt played collegiate golf in the US but now seems like he is now on track for a successful professional career especially if the manner in which he handled contention at this level today is any indication. He did little wrong under the most extreme pressure and Faxon won it rather than the South African losing it.

It has been a big week for Rose also after a slow start to the year. He has now confirmed his status for 2006 and his last few weeks have indicated that he is close to something even better than this week.

If Van der Walt’s week was from out of the blue, what about Michael Putnam who earlier in the week was contemplating a tilt at the US Amateur before receiving notice that he had a start at the Buick Championship via invitation. He turned pro immediately and in his first start on the USPGA Tour he finished fourth and will earn some US$177,000 and earn the right to play next week in Boston at the Deutsche Bank Championship. To say the least it was an impressive debut.

The best of the Australasians were Robert Allenby and Steve Allan who shared 16th, Peter Lonard was 25th, Paul Gow 36th, Michael Long 51st and Steve Bowditch 73rd.

For Steve Bowditch his first start in a USPGA Tour event yielded a cut made. He started the tournament well with consecutive 68’s but a ten on the par five 13th yesterday, after a double at the first hole in round three, destroyed any chance of a reasonable week. He had a triple bogey early in his round today and had two doubles to finish and it may be the run of shanks he is experiencing of late has returned. Despite all of this, that he was able to make the cut in his first time at this higher level is an achievement in itself.

The USPGA Tour now heads north east to Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Photo – Anthony Powter