Tag: pga championships
Kirk Beaming After Biggest PGA Career Win

Kirk Beaming After Biggest PGA Career Win

Norton (United States) (AFP) — Chris Kirk fired a bogey-free closing-round 66 to win the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank Championship by holding off hard-charging fellow American Billy Horschel.

The 29-year-old Kirk posted the biggest win of his career Monday and moved into the top spot in the FedEx Cup playoff standings.

“I really felt good with the putter today. My biggest win ever,” said Kirk, who reached 15-under 269 at TPC Boston. “I am very happy with my win today.

“I may look calmer than some other guys in that situation, but I am still freaking out on the inside.”

Kirk, who jumped to the top of the FedEx Cup playoff points list with two events to play, posted his first victory since last year’s McGladrey Classic.

Kirk isn’t sure if it was enough to convince U.S. captain Tom Watson to add him to the Ryder Cup team.

“I certainly don’t feel entitled, or feel like I’m a shoe-in to get a pick,” Kirk said. “I’ve obviously really put myself into consideration, and it’s something that I would love to do.

“The nine guys that made it are automatic. Those are the guys on the team. The other three? If you get in, it’s a bonus.”

Horschel needed a birdie to tie or an eagle to win heading to the par-five last hole. He put his drive in the middle of the fairway, giving him a shot to make the green in two.

But he chunked his second shot, which landed well short and in a hazard. Horschel (69) settled for a bogey and fell into a three-way tie for second.

He was joined at 13-under 271 by Geoff Ogilvy (65) and third-round leader Russell Henley (70).

“I was just trying to make sure I hit a good golf shot and I hit it a little too long,” Horschel said. “There are a lot of positives to take away from this week.

– “One bad swing” –

“It is the first time I’ve been in contention all year. I handled myself really well, stayed calm and stayed patient. I made one bad swing and it happened to come on the last hole.”

This year’s Open champion and PGA Championship winner Rory McIlroy, who won this event last year, shot a one-under 70 to finish tied for fifth with John Senden (66) at 273. McIlroy, who entered the FedEx Cup playoffs in top spot, remained number two in the standings.

Jason Day, who entered the day two shots back along with Kirk and McIlroy, carded a final-round 71 and was tied for seventh with this year’s U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer, of Germany, at 274.

Entering the week with the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings after his victory at The Barclays, Hunter Mahan finished in sole possession of 64th at one-over 285 following a 68 on Monday. He is now third in the standings behind Kirk and McIlroy.

Next week the PGA Tour heads to Colorado for the BMW Championship, where Zach Johnson will be the defending champ.

AFP Photo/Jim Rogash

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McIlroy, Stenson, Stricker Make Charge At PGA

McIlroy, Stenson, Stricker Make Charge At PGA

Louisville (AFP) — World number one Rory McIlroy, American Steve Stricker, and fourth-ranked Henrik Stenson made early moves on leader Ryan Palmer in Friday’s rain-hit second round of the PGA Championship.

Sweden’s Stenson, seeking his first major title, reached six-under with a 30-foot birdie putt at the 13th.

British Open champion McIlroy, notorious for second-round struggles much of the year, joined him at six-under by bouncing back from a bogey at 12 with a 12-foot birdie putt at 13 and a 16-foot birdie putt at 15.

Back-nine starter Stricker was at six-under as well after making birdie putts on four of his first eight holes, the longest of them a 30-footer at the 17th.

But it was Palmer who birdied the ninth from four feet to grab a one-stroke lead at seven-under.

Heavy showers caused a 45-minute delay shortly after Palmer teed off in the opening group off the first tee, drenching the 7,458-yard course in the first wave of downpours expected to continue throughout the day.

Palmer opened with six pars before getting up and down from greenside rough at the par-5 seventh, the American sinking a four-foot putt to claim the lead alone at seven-under as he had Thursday on the exact same hole.

But just as he did on day one, Palmer dropped back level for the lead with a bogey at the par-3 eighth, finding a bunker off the tee.

This time, however, he answered immediately with a birdie and looked to stretch his margin on the back nine.

Britain’s Lee Westwood, seeking his first major title after eight top-three major finishes without one, and American Kevin Chappell, seeking his first tour-level title, were both set for afternoon starts after joining Palmer in the overnight lead after all three fired 65s Thursday.

Sweden’s fourth-ranked Stenson opened on the back nine with a birdie at the par-5 10th, stumbled with a bogey at 12 then responded with his long birdie effort to threaten.

Masters champion Bubba Watson was two-under after five holes and three-under for the tournament.

Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, was also set to tee off in the afternoon.

But after opening on 74 to share 109th, three strokes beyond the projected cut line, he was simply fighting to reach the final rounds.

Ben Crane, who opened on 74, withdrew due to back issues, the fourth American to pull out of the event. Sixth-ranked Matt Kuchar and past winner David Toms withdrew with back trouble before the start and defending champion Jason Dufner pulled out after 10 holes Thursday because of a neck injury.

AFP Photo/Andrew Redington

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