GOLF:GREEN BAY Packers fan Mark Wilson had double cause for celebration yesterday after grabbing his second PGA Tour title of the season.
The 36-year-old, down in 237th spot in the world prior to last month’s Sony Open in Hawaii, clinched the Phoenix Open at the second hole of a play-off with fellow American Jason Dufner.
The tournament had spilled into an extra day because of frost delays on Thursday and Friday, but that was nothing new for Wilson. His first victory in 2007 came in a Monday play-off.
The hopes of third-round leader Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey were ended by a triple-bogey seven on the 17th. Only a shot back at the time, he crashed to joint eighth.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Wilson after making an eight-foot birdie putt and taking his earnings for the year to just under €2 million.
Wilson, whose NFL team won their fourth Super Bowl title on Sunday night, added: “I guess I’m in all the majors now and I’m just riding the train. I don’t get down on myself and I’m playing the best golf of my life.”
Wilson, two ahead overnight, resumed on the 13th green and parred his way in for a 69, while Dufner made a 35-foot putt on the short 16th and two-putted the driveable 17th for another birdie.
The 33-year-old almost holed a bunker shot at the last and his 66 might have been enough, but Wilson’s pulled drive there just made it over the water and he parred too.
Dufner then missed a 22-foot putt to win on the first hole of sudden death and could do no better than par on the next after driving into rough.
Phil Mickelson, who needed a top-three spot to replace Tiger Woods as world number three, was in the lake on the 17th and three-putted the last for another bogey as he finished disappointingly with a 71 for only 29th place.
PHOENIX OPEN (at TPC of Scottsdale, Arizona) – Leading final scores (US unless stated, par 71): 266 – M Wilson 65 64 68 69 (Wilson won at second play-off hole), J Dufner 65 68 67 66 268 – V Singh (Fij) 69 65 68 66, M Laird (Sco) 68 71 64 65 269 – N Watney 70 66 65 68, JB Holmes 65 70 67 67, G Woodland 68 66 69 66 270 – C Couch 66 65 68 71, B Snedeker 69 68 66 67, T Gainey 63 65 68 74, YE Yang (Kor) 69 65 67 69, W Simpson 70 66 67 67 271 – J Ogilvie 67 67 69 68, C Beckman 65 70 67 69, R Imada (Jpn) 68 67 69 67, G Ogilvy (Aus) 67 66 67 71, R Fowler 70 62 69 70.
WORLD RANKINGS
1 Lee Westwood (Eng) 8.41av pts
2 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 7.90
3 Tiger Woods (US) 6.78
4 Phil Mickelson (US) 6.39
5 Graeme McDowell (N Ire) 6.39
6 Paul Casey (Eng) 6.13
7 Rory McIlroy (N Ire) 5.85
8 Steve Stricker (US) 5.78
9 Luke Donald (Eng) 5.45
10 Jim Furyk (US) 5.42
11 Ernie Els (Rsa) 5.15
12 Ian Poulter (Eng) 4.90
13 Matt Kuchar (US) 4.79
14 Dustin Johnson (US) 4.65
15 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 4.49
16 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 4.48
17 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 4.36
18 Bubba Watson (US) 4.13
19 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 3.91
20 Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 3.79
PGA TOUR MONEY LIST
1 Mark Wilson (US) $2,098,700
2 Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)$1,248,280
3 Jonathan Byrd (US) $1,174,666
4 Bubba Watson (US) $1,143,134
5 Bill Haas (US) $809,934
6 Jason Dufner (US) $696,118
7 Gary Woodland (US) $675,526
8 Phil Mickelson (US) $663,534
9 Robert Garrigus (US) $635,000
10 Tim Clark (Rsa) $571,000
11 Matt Kuchar (US) $561,125
12 Dustin Johnson (US) $535,534
13 Steve Marino (US) $494,350
14 Vijay Singh (Fij) $430,872
15 Steve Stricker (US) $429,500
16 Nick Watney (US) $416,950
17 Graeme McDowell (N Ire) $412,000
18 Martin Laird (Sco) $405,800
19 Brian Gay (US) $366,636
20 Anthony Kim (US) $364,086
RACE TO DUBAI
1 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) €419,927
2 Martin Kaymer (Ger) €349,554
3 Thomas Bjorn (Den) €312,124
4 Paul Casey (Eng) €307,487
5 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) €257,023
6 Retief Goosen (Rsa) €248,026
7 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) €240,249
8 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) €237,028
9 Rory McIlroy (N Ire) €222,932
10 Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) €189,565
11 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) €181,636
12 Pablo Martin (Spa) €170,216
13 Ernie Els (Rsa) €158,500
14 Peter Hanson (Swe) €150,616
15 Stephen Gallacher (Sco) €127,819
16 Robert Karlsson (Swe) €126,641
17 Markus Brier (Aut) €124,290
18 David Howell (Eng) €119,877
19 James Kingston (Rsa) €113,226
20 Graeme McDowell (N Ire) €112,960
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