The American’s nearest challengers include Scot Russell Knox.
Advertisement
Ponte Vedra Beach resident Jim Furyk will gladly settle for history.
Russell Knox sank a 12-foot par putt at the final hole to win the Travelers Championship in CT by one shot on Sunday, moving the Scot into contention for a place on the European team at next month’s Ryder Cup. “I’ll come here, but I won’t play many (PGA Tour events)”.
The score ties the 46-year-old American for the second-best nine holes in PGA Tour history, behind only Corey Pavin, who shot a 26 on the front nine at U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee in 2006.
As for the tournament itself, Furyk was +1 heading into the day, so even though he shot 12-under for the round, he still only finished tied for fifth. By the final two holes of a round that ended almost two hours before third-round leader Daniel Berger struck his first shot, the crowd surrounding him resembled the final hole at Augusta National on Sunday afternoon as the leader is sauntering up the fairway like a king filing past his subjects.
The last time the 2015 PGA Tour rookie of the year held a 54-hole lead by three shots was in June when he went on to win the St. Jude Classic for his first victory on the US Tour. A footnote is that some of those guys, including Geiberger, posted their 59 on a par 72 golf course whereas Furyk nailed his 58 yesterday on a par 70 course.
Was it a ideal round of golf?
Jim Furyk, fresh off a PGA record round of 58, was named victor of the Payne Stewart Award on Tuesday.
“When my swing gets long, my upper body and lower body get out of sync and it makes it hard to hit the ball solid, makes it hard to hit the ball straight”, he said.
“I’m still a little stunned and a little flabbergasted”, Furyk said, per William S. Paxton of USA Today. This year’s edition falls in just as rough a spot – one week after the PGA, which was the second major in three weeks, and one week before the Olympics.
Furyk broke quickly with a 15-foot birdie putt on the second hole and a eagle-two on the third hole, using a pitching wedge from 135 yards out. He shot 32 on the front nine, then went to 5 under for the day when his second shot on the 13th hole found the cup for an eagle from 113 yards.
“He was playing flawless golf, driving it in every fairway, hitting a lot of great iron shots”. He finished his first nine holes in a course-record 27 shots.
On Sunday he had four birdies and two bogeys.
In a span of seven holes, Henley went from the top of the leaderboard at 14-under to a tie for 11th at -9. 14 and 15. However, he dropped a 24-foot birdie putt at No. 16 and two-putted for par on the closing holes.
“That’s a putt I’ll remember forever”, he said. It was Durant’s second win on the 50-and-over tour and his first solo victory after he teamed with Billy Andrade to win the Legends of Golf a year ago.
The player who did win knows all about the choice between a score and a title.
Advertisement
Daniel Berger started the round with a three-shot lead, looking to bag his second million-dollar payday this summer. Three pars followed but the 2003 US Open victor rolled in a 24-foot putt on the 16th and parred his way home to seal his place in the history books.
