Win number 12 for Leonard in Memphis

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2008 Stanford St. Jude Classic | Round Four | 09 Jun 2008

Justin Leonard today won his 12th USPGA Tour event and took his career earnings beyond US$26 million when he holed an 18 foot putt at the second extra playoff hole to defeat Robert Allenby and Trevor Immelman at the Stanford St Jude Championship in Memphis.

All three playoff contenders had finished on four under par totals at the completion of 72 holes, Allenby the first to finish on that score following a brilliant final round of 65 that had started with a bogey but which then included six birdies. A birdie putt at the 16th from 20 feet gave the Australian an outside chance of a possible playoff, but when he knocked his second to the last to within three feet he was knocking on the door of Leonard, who was at that point still one ahead. Allenby had a wait of nearly two hours before the final group would finish.

Leonard went ahead at five under when he birdied the 15th after a brilliant second from the rough. He dropped a shot at the 17th when he blocked his tee shot and finished stymied behind a tree. He had no option but to chip out sideways and although he hit a good third to 15 feet he missed and was back at four under and in a tie with Allenby. Leonard had one last chance at the 18th to effectively win outright but his putt from 14 feet touched the edge but stayed out. He was then the tied with Allenby and Gavin Coles who still had the last to play.

Gavin Coles will look back at the par four 18th at the TPC Southwind and wonder what might have been. With only limited status on the PGA Tour, Coles grabs starts wherever he can, sharing his schedule with Nationwide Tour events where he won earlier this year in Louisiana.

Today offered Coles the chance to secure his future in more ways than one. He recovered from an early bogey and after a good up and down from behind the green for birdie at the par five 16th he had a share of the lead at 4 under with Allenby and Leonard. He made a solid par at the 17th and headed to the 18th in the knowledge that he needed a birdie to win and a par to tie.

Coles took a three wood from the tee and found the right rough. His second finished in the right hand greenside bunker and needing to get up and down he caught his trap shot a little thin and it finished over the green. He pitched back to ten feet and unfortunately missed and dropped two shots. On such a clustered leaderboard it would prove even more costly than it might have otherwise been. It turned a potential US$1 million payday into a cheque for US$174,000. It is Coles’ biggest cheque in the game but it is very much a case of what might have been given the rewards victory would bring.

With Leonard and Allenby in the clubhouse at four under, Trevor Immelman was the only player left on the golf course who could affect the outcome of the tournament. The South African, who has been perhaps preoccupied with the demands of being the Masters champion in recent weeks, appeared back on track when he entered the final round two behind the third round leader, Tim Clark.

After an early double bogey, Immelman still trailed by three with three holes to play and clearly needed something special over the closing stages. A birdie at the reachable par five 16th moved him within two and then at the par three 17th a tee shot to 12 feet set up another birdie which he converted and he need one more at the last if he was to join the playoff. His second to 25 feet left the door open and a beautifully struck and read putt extended his day’s work.

At the first playoff hole, all three players made par but at the par three 11th, the second of the playoff holes, all three hit brilliant tee shots although only Leonard was able to convert and the title was his.

Leonard heads to Torrey Pines in great form and with a 5th place finish at that venue earlier in the year. Interestingly, Leonard has no top ten to his name in US Open events but he might change that this week.

Allenby and Immelman have done their chances at Torrey Pines no harm with encouraging weeks. Neither did Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Boo Weekley who were in the group at 3 under and just one behind the playoff.

Harrington and Garcia are amongst a group of European golfers in good enough form to put right a drought that European golf has in the US Open. It has been 38 years since Tony Jacklin last won the US Open for Europe.

Of the other Australians, Brett Rumford recorded a better week when 24th along with Stuart Appleby, while Stephen Leaney was the only other Australian to make the cut but finished 66th.