Stadler out of father's shadow with JWC victory
IN: News | Australasian PGA | Johnnie Walker Classic (2006) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 12 Feb 2006
Kevin Stadler today shook off the tag of "his father's son" and in the process created an option for himself other than that of playing the Nationwide Tour in 2006. His two shot win at the Johnnie Walker Classic, after the most magnificent three iron from the middle of the fairway at the 72nd hole to less than a foot, set up an eagle and the win and now sees him with the option of playing on the European Tour should he so choose.
"That was the best shot of the week," he said referring to his second to the last. "I'm kind of baffled by it all at the moment. Other than the three holes in the middle it went really well. The wind was up a little and in the end I made a couple of good putts for bogey on those holes."
"I've no idea what I am going to do," he said, referring to his new status as a European Tour player. I played in Switzerland a few years back and would love to play there (in Europe) just for the great locations. It's a little early to say at this stage but I guess I will play in Europe. I would like to play both the Nationwide and several events in Europe." Clearly it was a little too early for clear decisions to be made.
One thing is for sure is that he will be in Adelaide for next week's Jacob's Creek Open. "I came to this event on the advice of friends and because of the fact that I was granted an invite but I was keen to get acclimatised to the weather and the time difference prior next week's event in Adelaide."
Stadler considers himself a feel player and has had only a few lessons in his life. "My dad often suggested I should get a coach but I like it this way and don't know too much about my swing." It might be best if no-one gets hold of him in that regard.
It was a day of fluctuating fortunes with Stadler, O'Hern and Choi all either in or sharing the lead at various stages but in the end it was the man who had led on day one with his opening 64 and kept building on that score, who would take the title.
O'Hern has added yet another runner up placing to his amazing tally of near misses. He can rest happy this time however as he did all he could and in the end was beaten by a better man on this particular week.
"I was really proud of the shots I produced when I needed to," he said later. "I ground it out in the middle of the round and hung in there and made some good up and downs. I hit the putt at the last exactly where I wanted and I actually thought I had made it half way down its line. As I turned out it didn't make the difference as Kevin hit that great shot in there."
O'Hern had only the one bogey today and only four for the week and gave it all he could in what was yet another fine performance. He will now head to the US for the Accenture where his style of play has given him success previously. He has made the decision to change his plans from those he had originally of moving to Florida due to the complicated pregnancy his wife is experiencing and he will now travel to and from the US to play the events he now has access to due to the USPGA Tour status he acquired via the Presidents Cup team inclusion.
The last day of the Johnnie Walker Classic had already promised much, long before play had begun on day four, but it became evident even before the final few groups had left the first tee, that there was even more excitement in store.
Robert Allenby, looking to win his fourth consecutive event on the Australasian Tour, had hardly been a factor all week despite opening rounds of 69, 68 and 69. Those rounds had him on the fringe of contention but by the time he reached the fifth tee today he was very much in the mix. Allenby birdied the first four holes to move to 14 under and he was within three of the lead and in a share of fourth after starting the day in 17th place. His challenge was stalled by a bogey at the 7th, after a wild tee shot at the par three, but he had given an indication of what was possible on the opening holes on day four. Allenby would also three putt the 8th hole after having a fifteen footer for birdie and brought much of his early work undone.
Those behind him on the course knew by the time they got to the first tee they needed to respond and so they did. O'Hern birdied the first from 20 feet and then in the group behind so too did Stadler. Richard Green bogeyed the first two holes but at the second K.J.Choi had a great opportunity to make an early move after his second had finished five feet from the hole. He missed and his opening two pars paled in comparison to that which was going on around him.
K.J. Choi pulled his second left at the par five third and was lucky not to be in more trouble that he was. He took a drop from the path and then pitched to twenty feet from where he holed for birdie to move within two. As he was doing that O'Hern was about to hole a long putt for birdie at the fourth and join Choi only two from Stadler. Within two minutes however, Stadler himself had recorded the almost compulsory birdie at the reachable third to move three ahead again. It was punch and counter punch early on.
Choi hit an impressive tee shot to a back left pin at the par three fourth and holed it from eight feet for birdie and he was within two of Stadler. Before long it was just one as Stadler took bogey at the fifth and he led by one from Choi and O'Hern who birdied both the 4th and fifth holes. O'Hern missed his chances at the two par fives, a factor that could well prove crucial later in the round but he and Choi were aided by the leader's second consecutive bogey at the sixth hole which allowed them both to join the American in the lead.
At the par three 7th, the wheels that had kept Stadler on a roll for so long over the first 60 or so holes began to look even more wobbly as he blocked his tee shot right - when faced with a shot that he would later describe as difficult for him - and was then unable to get up and down from an awkward position.
Choi would also bogey the 7th and that left O'Hern alone at 17 under, one ahead of Choi and Stadler. Could this be the day that O'Hern would win for the first time since 1999 and his first European Tour event? The next three hours were about to place O'Hern under the most intense scrutiny.
O'Hern missed a great chance to establish a cushion when he produced a brilliant shot from the fairway bunker at the 9th to set up a two metre birdie chance but that would go begging as it turned more than he expected. Still, as the sentimental and local favourite headed for the tenth tee, he had retained his one shot lead and now.
At the tenth O'Hern's tee shot was left but was far enough down the hole to consider going for the green in two. He did, but the front of the green was firm and he bounced on through into a difficult lie. He pitched back to fifteen feet and while he was waiting to putt, Stadler, in the group behind, hit a perfect approach to the 9th and made birdie to join O'Hern at 17 under.
Ahead at the 10th green, O'Hern was unable to convert his birdie opportunity and so at that point he and Stadler shared the lead, one ahead of K.J. Choi with another shot back to the Italian Molinari who had struggled early but was making his way back into the event. O'Hern had again missed a birdie opportunity at a par five. He later described his failure to get birdie there as 'hitting five very good shots'.
Ian Poulter took a while to get going in the final round and turned in 35 but he was about to begin a run that would take him into a share of third with Molinari. He birdied the 10th, 11th and 13th to move within two
The 10th would provide opportunities for both Stadler and Choi but the Korean pulled his tee shot left and could only hit it sideways and was forced to lay up with his third. He would eventually take bogey while Stadler made birdie at the par five. That took the American into the lead on his own at eighteen under one ahead of O'Hern and three ahead of Molinari and the Victorian David Diaz who appears to have found something of late. Diaz won the Victorian Open last week but this was something completely different and a new level entirely. After a double bogey at the eighth hole it appeared he might disappear from the scene but here he was five holes later, after three consecutive birdies, amongst the top three. For someone who has contemplated giving it all away at times in recent years here he was, on perhaps his greatest stage and challenging. Just as his challenge was building however he bogeyed the 14th and fell perhaps too far behind.
Stadler found the middle of the fairway at the 12th and then hit his approach to twenty five feet although his playing partner Choi almost holed his approach and moved to 16 under to join O'Hern and Allenby at that score. O'Hern had three putted the 12th to slip back to 16 under and Allenby had eagled the 18th from just off the edge of the green to move to that score.
Allenby's approach to the last was perhaps a touch lucky. "I got a lucky bounce and after that I think the eagle putt was meant to be. I started well today but did not commit at the next four holes. It was very hot out there and I lost focus and momentum. I made a blunder at the 12th also when, with just 80 yards to the hole, I went for the sucker pin and I ended up being the sucker."
Allenby had worked his way into the event via the back door as he had not been in the front line of contention until the last two holes. A birdie at the 17th followed by that last hole eagle had him right there applying pressure to those behind on the course.
O'Hern, who appeared to have the wobbles a little in the middle of his round, pushed his tee shot at the 14th and then missed the green with his second. He found a way to make a very solid up and down however and was still right there within two.
As the leader reached the fourteenth hole the tournament was becoming Stadler's to win or lose. With a two shot lead it appeared that he would need only to par in to place the most enormous pressure on those chasing. That is always easier said than done, especially at this late stage of such a significant event. He was well short with his approach at the 14th but then pitched close to save par.
He would par the fifteenth and then at the sixteenth, played a good smart tee shot to the middle of the green, not even thinking about the flag and it fed to the right a little to finish twenty feet from the hole. Choi was just off the fringe and made par at the same hole and made par. Just how Stadler's putt for birdie there missed is anyone's guess but he safely made his par and headed to the 17th with his two shot lead intact. He two putted from 45 feet for par at the 17th as his nearest challenger O'Hern hit a delightful approach with a five wood to 14 feet. That had come after a 7 iron from 160 metres at the 17th had set up a sliding left to right six foot birdie putt which he made. His putt at the last had its moments on its route to the hole but it missed and he would now have to rely on Stadler making a mistake at the last.
The 26-year-old was not about to let that happen and as played the 18th perfectly, reflecting his magnificent week. Americans have won three of the last four European Tour events following the victories of DiMarco (Abu Dhabi), Woods (Dubai) and now Stadler. That in itself is an interesting twist of events given the criticisms Americans often get for not travelling.
Richard Green fought back from a horror start to record 32 on the back nine and that saw him move back into a share of third with Allenby at 16 under. It was the second consecutive third placing on the European Tour, and like O'Hern ,his time will surely come.
Other notable performances were the top tens of both David Diaz and Gavin Flint. This is Flint's biggest cheque in the game and is likely the same for Diaz. Flint will be much the better for the experience.
The venue for next year's Johnnie Walker Classic is as yet undecided but despite the fact that several of the stars missed the cut this week the event here has been a success. It might just be however that if consideration is given to a return to The Vines then the original tournament layout here is used.
