Green continues to amaze as Tiger wins Buick

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2006 Buick Invitational | Wrap | 30 Jan 2006

Nathan Green’s almost incomprehensible start to his USPGA Tour career has continued with his stunning runner up finish at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.

On a golf course supposedly more suited to the bombers of the PGA Tour, Nathan Green, who finished 109th in driving distance on the Nationwide Tour in 2005, defeated many of the game’s best in what developed into a classic battle to the wire.

Green would eventually lose a playoff in which he, Tiger Woods and Jose Maria Olazabal found themselves, but although he might be a little disappointed at the manner in which he handled the first playoff hole, the US$448,000 he earned for his share of second has all but guaranteed his card for 2007 after only two events in 2006.

Woods continued his remarkable domination of the event when he made a solid two putt par at the second extra hole after Olazabal had hit the most magnificent bunker shot recovery at the par three only to miss his chance from five feet to extend extra time.

Over the last nine holes, the event developed into one of the most gripping battles for the title with as many as a dozen players all with a chance of winning. Despite an opening hole bogey which may well have unsettled a first season rookie in this situation, Green reeled of a series of pars over the difficult South Course at Torrey Pines before a birdie at the 9th saw him turn in even par for the day, ten under for the tournament and with a share of the lead with previous winner Jose Maria Olazabal and India’s Arjun Atwal.

The challenges though, were coming thick and fast. Tiger Woods’ two early bogeys suggested that it might not necessarily be his day but when he birdied the 7th he was clearly not going away. Woods has a great capacity to win in tough situations like these. He would bogey the par three 11th, but produced a remarkable four iron to the 12th hole which finished 14 feet from the hole. He missed his eagle but the resultant birdie had him at nine under and in the large group on that score at that point.

At the par five 13th Green had no option but to lay up with his second but then from 77 yards he hit the perfect pitch which landed just short of the flag jumped past it and spun back in for eagle. All of a sudden Green was two ahead before his playing partner Phil Mickelson birdied the same hole to get within one. When Green showed his nerves were still in tact with a fine par saving putt at the 14th, then just perhaps his wildest dream might become a reality. He pulled his tee shot at the 15th and hit a very good low running shot just short of the green from behind the trees. He ran his approach to seven feet and when he missed that his cushion was one from what seemed like, and indeed was, an ever increasing chasing pack at nine under.

Olazabal, who had won here in 2002 against the logical thinking that suggested that the 7600 yard South Course is not a place for shorter hitters, was staking his claim to another Buick title. He said later that he had been rusty with his game leading into the event having played very little in recent times but that things had gotten better as the week progressed. Like Green, Olazabal opened with a bogey but by the time he made the turn he was three under for the day and ten under for the tournament. He was by then in the lead. He bogeyed the 12th hole, missed his birdie at the 13th but then made a greats save at the 14th to remain in an eight way tie for the lead before Green produced his heroics.

At the last it became obvious that Olazabal would need a birdie to have a chance of joining a playoff, given the number of players still on the course and still with a chance. He drove it well and then hit a fairway wood on to the green and two putted for birdie and he was the clubhouse leader at ten under.

Behind, Green made a fine par save at the 16th when he found the trap with his tee shot and holed an eleven foot putt. After a bad drive at the 17th and an approach which left him with a difficult pitch he dropped a shot and was back at nine under.

At the 18th Green hit a drive down the left half of the fairway and from 244 yards he was faced with the decision of either laying up or having a go for the birdie which he now needed. With Olazabal already in the clubhouse at ten under there was little option. He found the green and although his first putt finished 8 feet from the hole he was able to make that to join Olazabal in the lead. Now it was up to Woods in the group behind to see if he could join or perhaps spoil their extended time party.

Woods made a great save at the 17th after finding the bunker and then at the 18th he hit a utility type wood for his second to the back edge of the green. He two putted from there although his second putt was from ten feet. He had then joined the playoff with Green and Olazabal.

So here he was. Nathan Green, the recruit from the Nationwide Tour. He had played with Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh on the last day in Hawaii and today he had played with Mickelson and on each occasion he had the better of them. Now he was to face the winner of ten majors in Woods and the winner of two US Masters in Olazabal in a playoff where the winner would receive $900,000 and the losers $448,000 each. For Green he was a winner in any case on a day where he put to rest any suggestion that his effort in Honolulu was an aberration.

At the first playoff hole Green bowed out after he was the only one to find the fairway and therefore the only one tempted to find the green. He did not and as he fumbled his way to a bogey, Woods and Olazabal made par and it was on to the 16th for the second playoff hole. At that par three Olazabal found the trap and left himself a horrendous shot. Woods found the green. Olazabal was brilliant from the bunker but not so when facing the five foot par saver and the title was Woods’ for the fourth time.

Jonathon Kaye, Arjun Atwal, Lucas Glover and John Rollins all finished in share of fourth with Mickelson and Sergio Garcia sharing 8th place.

Two double bogeys were to cost Rod Pampling his chance over the final day but his top ten is a better effort than missing the cut last week.

Stuart Appleby faded after such a good start to the week to finish 24th, Mathew Goggin was 35th and Aaron Baddeley 79th.

For many here it is now on to Phoenix for the FBR Open. For Woods however he will soon be on his private jet heading for Dubai in the Middle East where he will look to win an event in which he has finished 5th and 2nd in the two previous times he has played.