Senden makes it seven for Australia in 2006
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2006 John Deere Classic | Wrap | 17 Jul 2006
For the seventh time in 2006, Australian golfers have won a USPGA Tour event. Today John Senden won not only his first USPGA Tour event but his first tournament of any sort since 1998 – when he won twice on the European Challenge Tour – by taking out the John Deere Classic by one shot over J.P. Hayes.
This victory will be a triple whammy for Senden. It adds another US$720,000 to his bank balance, he gains a start at the Open Championship at Hoylake this coming week and very importantly he has proven to himself and to others that he can win.
Now into his fifth year on the USPGA Tour, there have been several occasions when Senden has been in the hunt only to let good opportunities slip. Today, as he led into the final round with a three shot lead, was his great chance to put those memories to bed once and for all.
Senden has been known throughout his golfing life as an exceptional swinger of the golf club but not one blessed with a short game to match. Senden possesses an almost Steve Elkington quality in his golf swing. His putting has been a constant cause for concern for him however and it has been that as much as anything that has prevented him from getting to this point earlier. There has also been perhaps a tendency to get a little defensive in certain situations when in contention and it has been something he has been addressing in terms of continuing to be aggressive rather than protecting a position.
Today would be a litmus test for the 35-year-old and no greater opportunity to put himself to the ultimate test. He made a quick start with a huge drive at the first and a second to three feet for what would have been no doubt a nerve settling birdie and then followed that up with two great hits at the par five second to the middle of the green for a two putt birdie. Senden could not have dreamed of a better start but from that point on, even though he continued to strike the ball well he struggled to convert. He made a nice birdie at the 7th but then missed a similar chance at the 8th before three putting from long range at the 9th.
As he made the turn he had retained his three shot lead but now over J.P. Hayes, who had turned in three under for the day and fifteen under for the tournament. Hayes continued to move closer to Senden and when he added his seventh birdie of the day at the 17th, he had joined the Australian in the lead. Senden still however had the reachable par five 17th to play and after a great second from the rough scrambled onto to the front edge, he was faced with a twenty eight foot eagle chance that would surely have made the win a certainty. He missed but secured his birdie although ahead waited the potentially dangerous 18th, the second most difficult hole on the course.
A great drive had Senden 177 yards from the hole. With water left and a one shot lead, Senden’s target was the middle of the green but perhaps adrenalin played its part and he found the back right bunker. He was faced with a potentially dangerous shot, downhill with water behind. Senden executed the shot to perfection, in fact so much so that it all but went in the hole. A putt of less than six inches was all that was required to finish the job and the victory was his by one over Hayes with Alex Cjeka and Heath Slocum sharing third two shots further back.
The next best of the Australians were Steve Elkington and Stephen Leaney who tied for 17th. Elkington is now off to Hoylake while Leaney takes a break.
Nathan Green was 47th, Jason Day 67th and Brendan Jones even further back in the field.
For Day, this was a stunning debut. The 18-year-old will have been disappointed with his final round of 73 but putting the week into perspective and given his slow start on Thursday, he did brilliantly well to make the cut in his first appearance as a professional and on the USPGA Tour. Day now heads east to New York to tee it up at this week’s BC Open where he again has an invitation.
