Anxious wait for playoff quartet at Honda Classic
IN: News | US PGA | The Honda Classic (2007) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 05 Mar 2007
Just as had been the case 12 hours earlier and halfway around the world at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand, a multiple playoff, involving Jose Coceres, Boo Weekly, Mark Wilson and Camilo Villegas became necessary to decide the winner of the Honda Classic at the Champion Course at Palm Beach Garden in Florida, but unlike the Thailand event, a winner has yet to be decided.
After just one hole the playoff was abandoned due to darkness and will resume at 8.30am Monday (US time) with three of the four protagonists within touching distance of their first USPGA Tour victory. For the other player in the playoff, Jose Coceres, a win will seem like his first as it has been more than five years since he last won, although interestingly he is involved in his second consecutive playoff having been beaten by Fred Funk last week in Mexico.
Boo Weekly had the tournament to win or lose at the last hole of regulation play when, with a one shot lead, he had only to two putt from 45 feet to edge ahead of the other three golfers. His first putt finished just over three feet short and facing a tricky little left to righter for the win, he pulled the putt a little and it raced three feet past again. Luckily he made it and the quartet headed to the par five 18th in order to break the deadlock.
This was a day where many players had their chance and it was Villegas who entered the playoff in the strongest frame of mind after a brilliant last round of 66 had seen him move from 7th to 1st as those behind battled the demands of the closing stretch of four holes known as the Bear Trap.
Robert Allenby became a victim of that stretch when he bogeyed the 15th and 16th and his chance was all but gone. He had another chance at the last but failed to make the long putt for birdie and finished one behind after having been in contention throughout the 72 holes. Allenby started the final day four behind the leaders after an ordinary finish to his third round but moved to the lead when he was out in 31.
Robert Allenby Interview - 28th February 2007
Listen to Bruce Young's interview with Robert Allenby in the lead up to the Honda Classic
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Boo Weekly holed a 16 foot putt for birdie at the 17th to break clear of the three players at 5 under but the three putt bogey at the last cost him outright victory. He still has his chance but so too do all four in the playoff as in rapidly approaching darkness all made par at the first extra hole, albeit by varying methods.
Mark Wilson holed a 35 foot par putt after tacking his way up the par five, Jose Coceres made a very good birdie attempt from 18 feet which slid by, Boo Weekly got up and down from the trap and Villegas found the green in regulation, after finding the rough from the tee and with his attempted layup and then two putted from 40 feet.
Tripp Isenhour, Steve Stricker and Allenby all shared 5th place and for Allenby it was his fifth consecutive top ten in his five strokeplay events this season on the PGA Tour. "I have everything in place now," said Allenby in an interview I did with him last week. "My game, my body and my mind are all good and I have a very good team around me at present. I feel very good about the year ahead."
The resurgent Stricker seems to have re-found his game in the last twelve months with a very good season in 2006 and now this good start in 2007. He was 4th in Hawaii earlier this season.
The playoff group will be forced to wait another 14 hours or so before a winner is decided. For Camilo Villegas this offers an opportunity to elevate his already considerable profile as one of the most marketable commodities on the USPGA Tour. Boo Weekly is developing an interesting cult following given his self declared 'Red Neck' background, Mark Wilson will finally have a chance to avoid his now regular pilgrimage to the Tour School if he wins and he will go a long way to that goal either way with the money he will earn for a share of second. A win for Coceres will further confirm a return to his best form and provide his third USPGA Tour victory following on from his two wins in his brilliant rookie season in 2001.
The playoff tomorrow might only last ten minutes but for each of the players involved it could turn out to be ten of the most significant minutes in their professional careers.
Of the Australians other than Allenby, Jarrod Lyle, John Senden and Steve Allan were best, finishing in 39th place. Lyle's final round of 69 was very impressive but pales in comparison to the story of Gavin Coles.
Last week Coles played well in Mexico when finishing 9th and this week was going reasonably well again when he reached the par three 15th on Saturday. An 8 over par 11 at that hole cost him any chance of a good finish although he birdied his last two holes in round three then added a 66 today. It was one of the most impressive efforts of the week given the disaster that struck him on Saturday. Coles finished 53rd.
Mathew Goggin was 60th and Peter Lonard 62nd.
The PGA Tour will move across Florida to Tampa for this week's PODS Championship after the none to small business of settling a playoff is completed on Monday morning.
Photo - Anthony Powter
