Glover defies Byrd at Wells Fargo
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 Wells Fargo Championship | Final Round | 09 May 2011
Lucas Glover has defeated his former Clemson team-mate and good friend Jonathan Byrd to win the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Byrd was unable to get up and down after missing the green at the first extra hole of a playoff after he had forced the tournament into extra time with a brilliant birdie at one of the PGA Tour’s toughest finishing holes.
Glover, who has not won or seldom contended in an event since his surprise victory at the 2009 US Open at Bethpage, two putted from 40 feet behind the hole at the second extra playoff hole although he was forced to hole a tricky left to right four footer to complete the victory.
Glover has missed his last three cuts on the PGA Tour prior to this week but he was able to turn it around. “I found a little something late Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning going into the pro-am and played very well on Wednesday,” said Glover after his victory.
“I don’t usually put a lot of stock into how I play on Wednesdays, but I needed something with some confidence in it, and I played well, and I just took that with me Thursday and got off to a good start, played great, and then it just kind of fell in and was kind of there the rest of the week.
So what was it that he discovered? “Something pretty simple, squaring the club face at address with my irons. I kind of — I’m kind of that way with my head at address, so with the way my eyes sit, an open blade looks square.
“It never dawned on me because it looks right, and I finally got sick of hitting these weak flares to the right and said let’s try to hit some hooks and finally said, well, maybe the blade is open at address because I felt like I was making good golf swings on the range and finally squared it up. If it was up to me, I’d hit a 15-yard hook with about every club. I don’t necessarily need to do that.
“But that’s what I’ve been trying to get back to because that’s how I grew up playing, and I haven’t been that way in probably a year and a half, so it was better this week.
Rory Sabbatini somehow managed to put his recent controversy behind him with a final round of 65 and a near miss after his lengthy putt at the last ran across the lip. He had a long wait but he would settle for third.
Sabbatini is facing possible suspension from the PGA Tour as a result of reportedly abusing a volunteer earlier in the season and then being involved in an ugly confrontation with Sean O’Hair at last week’s Zurich event in New Orleans. If nothing else Sabbatini is one tough customer.
The South African was however reluctant to discuss the situation in any post round media commitments.
Bill Haas finished alone in 4th position after contending for the lead for much of the final round.
The leading Australian was again Matt Jones who finished 21st with Steve Bowditch recording his second best finish of the year when 28th.
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