Surprise victory at Buick Open changes Bateman's life  PGATOUR.com Correspondent GRAND BLANC, Mich. -- Brian Bateman has some new events to pencil in on his PGA TOUR schedule.  Brian Bateman says he won't change much, but his schedule certainly will. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
Like the PGA Championship, the Masters and a few others which before Sunday were off limits to the 34-year-old from Monroe, La. But all that changed in the time it takes for a putt to roll 12 feet, 3 inches at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club. When the birdie putt dropped, Bateman knew exactly what it meant. "It's been a life-changing week," Bateman said. "A life-changing putt." With the gallery at the Buick Open anticipating a four-man playoff, the little-known Bateman, ranked 408th in the world, shot a final-round 69 for a 273 total and one-stroke victory over a trio of PGA TOUR -- Jason Gore (67), Justin Leonard (67) and Woody Austin (69). Leonard and Austin are former Buick Open champions. Gore was on the range staying loose when Bateman won it. "I was at the range and you could hear," Gore said. "We just had to know who was putting. You could hear the roar from the crowd. Fantastic crowds out here this week, and I'm ecstatic for him." The odds weren't with Bateman against a leaderboard stocked with PGA TOUR winners. It's not an argument Gore was buying. "You can't count anybody out," Gore said. When Bateman made bogey at the eighth hole to drop back to 13 under, there was a six-way tie for the lead. "I had a lot working against me," Bateman said. "I didn't want to know where I stood. The last two, three holes I knew I was getting close by the gallery reaction." Bateman's putter bailed him out down the stretch and, of course, won it all on the 18th green. He saved pars at the 16th and 17th holes after missing the green with approach shots. He could have folded then, but didn't. He hit the three best shots of his career on the 18th. After a center cut 282-yard drive at the 446-yard 18th, he had 164 yards left. "A perfect 8-iron number," Bateman said. The shot was perfect, too, and earned him a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR plus some other very nice perks.
"I've been out here for six years and I've only played in one major and that was in '04, the PGA" Championship, Bateman said. "It looks like I'll probably get in the PGA again this year. I've never been close to playing at Augusta because I always battled through q-school every year." He'll be at the Masters in 2008 and that, of course, means things will be much different. Right? "My wife and I are pretty simple people," Bateman said. "And I doubt this is going to change us much." Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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