Fairytale day for Wes Short Jnr in Vegas
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 The Championship at Las Vegas | Wrap | 17 Oct 2005
In what was a fairytale ending to a day of high drama, Wes Short Jr has outlasted veteran and Las Vegas tournament specialist, Jim Furyk, to win the Michelin Championship at Las Vegas and turn his golfing life around forever.
Despite being 42 years of age, Short became one of the older rookies on the PGA Tour when, after finishing 7th at the 2003 Q school, he earned his playing rights to play in the big time. The Austin, Texas, resident has been a professional since 1987 but only made it to the Nike Tour in 1998 where he hardly made a name for himself. When he returned there in 2002 and 2003 however, he began to hone his skills in tournament golf at this level. As soon as Short got to the PGA Tour in 2004 he struggled and by mid-season and after five consecutive missed cuts he had little to show for his efforts and he had played his last event of 2004. A back injury (a torn disc) had plagued him for much of that year and he was out for the rest of the year but he was able to secure a medical extension into 2005.
Short has played 13 events in 2005 with a fourth place at the John Deere the highlight until now. As he headed into the final round today in a share of 5th place it is likely that he was hoping somehow to snatch a top three finish. That would all but assure him of holding the playing privileges he still retained from 2004.
With three holes to go though, that hope looked a remote possibility. Three time winner of the event Jim Furyk had made a big move on the final day and when he birdied the 15th and eagled the 16th he had moved to 22 under and one ahead of Ted Purdy.
Short though was about to unleash a big finish of his own. At the par five 16th he was at 18 under and, at that stage, four behind Furyk who had just eagled the same hole a few minutes earlier. A huge drive and a short iron from 176 yards left Short just 9 feet from the hole and when he had made that for eagle he was within two of Furyk. The top three finish was now looking a distinct possibility but when Furyk bogeyed the last, Short was within one of both Furyk and Ted Purdy who was playing in the group behind.
Purdy was about to create an even greater opening for Short when he self destructed at the par three 17th by finishing in the water with his tee shot. The resultant triple bogey saw Purdy slip back to be three behind and so it was now up to Short to stop Furyk from winning the event for the fourth time. A good drive along the right side saw Short left with 138 yards to the hole. A brilliant approach under the circumstances, under any circumstances for that matter, saw him nine feet from a playoff. When he holed that he and Furyk were tied and while a win would have been nice for Short, to a large extent he had achieved his goal of retaining his playing privileges.
There was more in store for Short however as he and Furyk headed to the 18th, the first playoff hole. Both players made par there but at the second, the par three 17th, Furyk pulled his tee shot into the water. Short was having none of that and found the back right bunker and made par after a fine bunker shot under the pressure of the occasion.
It was a heart rendering story and finish and for Short a whole new world opens up in terms of what and where he can play.
Purdy somehow managed to regain his composure to birdie the last and share third with Harrison Frazar with Charles Howell closing in 5th place.
The best of the Australians was Stephen Leaney, who had one of his better finishes of the year when 12th and if indeed there were any concerns about his playing status in 2006 he has done enough here to be well and truly safe.
Rod Pampling was 16th, John Senden further consolidated his best year on the PGA Tour when 25th, Robert Allenby 39th, Stuart Appleby 58th, Aaron Baddeley 69th, Gavin Coles 73rd, Mark Hensby 79th and Scott Hend 82rd.
The PGA Tour now heads to Orlando for the Funai Classic at Walt DisneyWorld.
