Furyk grinds out Wachovia Championship victory
IN: News | US PGA | Wachovia Championship (2006) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 08 May 2006
Jim Furyk again highlighted what a great capacity he has to handle tough golf courses when he fought back to win the Wachovia Championship in a playoff over South Africa's Trevor Immelman.
Furyk finished runner up last year and at his most recent start on the USPGA Tour he finished second to Aaron Baddeley at the Verizon Heritage event and so the expectations were high for another good tournament. This week, on yet another course that quite simply calls on all of a player's competitive and grinding skills, one of the game's best in that regard found a way to win his 11th PGA Tour title.
Furyk's pitch from long and right of the green at the 72nd hole out of long rough was simply stunning, given the degree of difficulty, and when he made the eight foot putt for par to take the tournament into extra time there was an air of expectancy about the ultimate outcome.
Immelman was looking to win his first event on the USPGA Tour, having gained the right to play full time as a result of Presidents Cup captain, Gary Player's generosity last year when naming him as one of his wild card selections for International Team. Players making either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup teams are granted status on the PGA Tour. Immelman certainly had his chances on the final day as did his fellow countryman, Retief Goosen, but Furyk hung in there until the last moment and was there to take advantage of the Immelman's three putt at the 72nd hole.
Furyk had started the wet last day with a one shot lead but by the turn Immelman had established a two shot lead over Goosen and three over Furyk. The hole that would play a key role in the outcome of the event was the 11th where, after a poor drive, Immelman could only hack it out along the rough line and was unable to reach the green in three. From there he left his pitch well short and two putts later a double bogey saw a different look come over the tournament. As the final trio of Immelman, Furyk and Goosen walked to the 12th tee, Immelman and Goosen had a share of the lead, one ahead of Furyk.
Immelman birdied the 13th after a brilliant tee shot at the long par three to move two ahead of Furyk and Goosen, the latter taking bogey at the 12th. Furyk birdied the 14th after a fine approach to four feet and when both birdied the 15th the difference was still one. Immelman holed a very good par saving putt at the 17th and as they walked onto the last tee Immelman still retained a narrow one shot lead over Furyk with Goosen now three in arrears.
Both Furyk and Immelman found the fairway and Furyk, who was first to go was caught between a three and five iron as he does not carry a four iron, pushed his approach long and right of the green. Immelman found the green but he was some fifty feet from the hole. The odds favoured the South African but this was Furyk he was up against and this was a young man playing for his first PGA Tour victory. Both factors would play their role over the next few minutes.
Furyk hit the perfect pitch down the length of the green to eight feet which, given the nature of the shot and the situation, was superb. Now all Immelman had to do was to two putt from fifty feet. Sounds straight forward enough but history will now show that it wasn't. Immelman's putt ran ten feet past and when he missed the return, Furyk had his 8 footer to force the playoff. His putt appeared a little pulled at first but went in and so they headed back to the 18th tee to decide the winner.
Immelman drove first and pushed his tee shot a long way right. Furyk's tee shot caught the bunker but was better off than where Immelman eventually found his ball in thick grass. Immelman could only advance his ball about 100 yards and when Furyk's three iron from the trap found the green then rolled back off the front he had the advantage. Immleman's third came up just short and he then ran his approach to within a foot or so but when Furyk's third came to rest adjacent to the hole it was all over.
Adam Scott played well all week especially in round three where he was eight under through his first 11 holes before finishing with 66. He challenged again early in his final round but eventually settle for third. While his play on course was impressive, Scott earned much of his huge US$428,000 cheque while watching from the clubhouse. Goosen's quintuple bogey at the 72nd hole was worth nearly US$130,000 to Scott as the South African fell from outright third to 10th. It cost Goosen US$265,000.
Scott has been working on certain aspects of his golf swing that appear to be taking effect. His takeaway, an area he has been focussing on, now appears to be more on line than earlier in the year. It will be interesting to see if the form he has shown this week can remain with him into the bigger events over the next two months or so.
Of the other Australians, Geoff Ogilvy was again impressive with his eighth top twenty in eleven starts in 2006. He finished in a share of 10th, John Senden was 22nd after a triple bogey late in his tournament proved costly, Stuart Appleby's last round of 80 saw him eventually finish 52nd and Rod Pampling was 56th.
Other performances of interest for various reasons were defending champion Vijay Singh's last round of 81, Phil Mickelson's 35th place and David Duval's impressive (at least by recent standards) 22nd.
The PGA Tour now heads west to Texas for the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
Photo - Anthony Powter
