BC Open win aids Rollins' Ryder Cup chances
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2006 BC Open | Wrap | 24 Jul 2006
After a series of tournament in recent months, where he has struggled to even make the weekend, John Rollins took advantage of the absence of so many of the game’s best this week to win his second PGA Tour title, the BC Open in Verona New York.
Not that Rollins is a slouch. His win moves him to number ten on the Ryder Cups points list, a position he is no doubt keen to hold onto as the chances of him being a captain’s pick would seem to be remote.
His win also put to bed the memories of a near miss at this event twelve months ago at En Joie for the 31-year-old Rollins when he became part of a four way share of second behind Jason Bohn.
A final round of eight under par 64 saw Rollins move from an overnight 5th place and five behind the leader, Gabriel Hjertstedt, to win by one over Bob May. It was perhaps fitting that on a day when Tiger Woods was having his say across the Atlantic, May, whose name is so intrinsically linked with Woods, because of the 2000 PGA duel, should produce a performance from left field to all but win.
May had forced Woods into an unlikely playoff at Valhalla that year and it seemed for a while today the he might just be involved in yet another one. He had a chance at the last to move ahead of Rollins but he was unable to do so and Rollins, who was playing in the group behind, made his birdie.
For May this was just his 9th event of the PGA Tour season and after two years out of the game. After yet another missed cut last week at the John Deere Classic, his recent struggles seemed unlikely to improve to this extent. May has been battling back problems since 2003 and spent nearly three months in bed after an operation in 2004.
Rollins holed a five foot birdie putt at the par five last to edge out May while Shigeki Maruyama also reversed some recent form to finish alone in third place.
The best of the Australasians was Greg Chalmers who finished 32nd, James Mclean was 55th while Craig Parry was 59th.
Jason Day, in just his second tournament as a professional, missed the cut by one but has yet another invite at this week’s US Bank event in Milwaukee.
