Cameron Smith may or may not be Australia’s newest winner on the US PGA Tour – we’ll have to wait until late tonight to find out.
The baby-faced, 23-year-old Queenslander will line up in a playoff alongside partner Jonas Blixt against the American duo of Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown after the two pairs finished the two-man teams Zurich Classic of New Orleans event tied at 27-under thanks to an outrageous, last-gasp pitch-in for eagle on the 72nd hole by Kisner. Darkness prevented the playoff from commencing after an earlier six-hour weather delay.
Smith and Blixt led the field by four shots through three rounds of the alternating foursomes and fourball competition but were run down by the white-hot Kisner/Brown combination that went eight-under for the first eight holes on Sunday under the fourball format. But Smith and Blixt responded, birdieing the last three holes to take the lead until Kisner’s telling blow.
Armed with a one-stroke edge playing the par-5 18th at TPC Louisiana, Smith executed a perfect pitch shot from sloping ground in the greenside rough that rolled up to tap-in distance. That exquisite play left Kisner with no choice but to hole his 30-metre greenside eagle pitch to tie. And he did so, with the ball slamming into the flagstick and disappearing into the cup at pace.
Watch the two shots here:
A playoff awaits at the @Zurich_Classic.
The dramatic way we got there is unbelievable.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/9TzRBr4iWV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 1, 2017
Smith and Blixt paired tremendously in the innovative two-man format, dominating the potentially awkward foursomes rounds and picking enough birdies in fourball play to pile on the pressure. They didn’t card a bogey for the entire 72 holes.
Awaiting Smith (and Blixt) for a victory is a two-year winner’s exemption on the US Tour and direct entry into elite invitational fields, such as this month’s Players Championship plus August’s US PGA Championship and next January’s Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. The four golfers will return to TPC Louisiana’s 18th hole at 11pm tonight, AEST.
Next best of the Australians contesting the new-look tournament was Cameron Percy, who along with playing partner Grayson Murray, stormed home in 10-under 62 to share 11th spot.
* France’s Alexander Levy is eyeing a coveted place on the European Ryder Cup team in his home country after becoming the first player to win the Volvo China Open twice.
Levy defeated South African Dylan Frittelli on the first playoff hole after the pair finished tied at 17-under after 72 holes at Topwin Golf & Country Club in Beijing. Levy capped a closing 67 with a birdie on the 18th hole to set the mark while Frittelli, who led by three strokes beginning the final round, stumbled to close with a 74 that matched Levy’s tally. It was the Frenchman who was able to birdie the par-5 18th hole on the extra playing to take the title.
“It’s a goal and a dream for me to play the Ryder Cup in France,” said Levy, who is now a four-time winner on the European Tour. “I will do a lot of work to play the Ryder Cup and I will do my best to be part of the team.
“That’s an amazing feeling to be back in the winner’s circle. This means a lot because it was [also] the first tournament I won on the European Tour.”
The 2018 Ryder Cup will be played at Le Golf National near Paris from September 28 to 30.
Best among the Australians in China were Sam Brazel and Jason Norris in a tie for 48th.
* Former Women’s Australian Open champion Haru Nomura outlasted last stop’s winner on the LPGA Tour, Cristie Kerr, in a marathon six-hole sudden death playoff to take her third LPGA title.
In tough conditions at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, the Japanese star didn’t let a final-round 76 dampen her chances. Kerr closed with a 74 that left the pair tied at three-under for the 72 holes. And then things went into ‘overdrive’ overtime.
It took six more tours of the par-5 18th hole before the deadlock broke, with five sets of matching 5s ending via Nomura’s birdie at the sixth attempt.
Minjee Lee was the pick of the Aussies, closing with a commendable 73 to share fifth place, four shots out of the playoff.
