Day 4 recap: Payback and heartbreak at Sugarloaf
By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM Managing Editor
DULUTH, Ga. -- Golf isn't always fair. Just ask Kenny Perry, who must have wondered Sunday night why his second shot that was headed anywhere but toward the water on the par-5 18th actually ended up getting wet, costing him a chance to win the AT&T Classic and perhaps even that much-coveted spot on this year's yet-to-be-determined U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Or ask Parker McLachlin, who earlier in the day held a three-shot lead but came to the 18th hole knowing he likely needed eagle to get into playoff contention. With his playing partners having already driven close to the green, McLachlin stood over his second shot with every intention of going for it. But then the wind that had been swirling right to left suddenly changed directions and started blowing directly in his face. No chance to make the green in two. He laid up and eventually made bogey -- his third in the closing five holes -- instead of the playoff.
Or ask Ryuji Imada, who was in this playoff spot at TPC Sugarloaf a year ago with Zach Johnson. Finding his ball in the rough -- eerily not too far away from where he would end up Sunday -- Imada went for the green and landed in the water, costing him the tournament. He had to live with that memory for a year, haunted by the thought that his breakthrough PGA TOUR win had slipped through his fingers. Would he ever get that close again?
"This course owed me one," Imada has said repeatedly this week.
The payoff came Sunday, with Imada finally getting his win at TPC Sugarloaf. He certainly was deserving -- no one had fewer putts per round this week, and in the middle two rounds, he missed just five of 36 greens in regulation. And considering he went to school at the University of Georgia and had plenty of supporters in the gallery, the win itself was anything but subdued.
"I never really believed in destiny," Imada said.
"But I'm starting to believe it."
So maybe there isn't fairness, but there is justice. Unfortunately, one man's justice can sometimes come at the expense of another. And that's what Perry must deal with this week.
After he hit his 5-wood second shot off a downhill lie, he wasn't sure at first what had happened. "Where is it? Where is it?" he asked. He knew where the flight of the ball was, and that was nowhere near the water. Once he found out it had ricocheted off a tree and bounced into the water, he could only shake his head.
| 27.25 | Putts per round by Ryuji Imada, best among all players this week |
| 4 | Rounds in the 60s shot by Kenny Perry, who becomes the fourth player to accomplish that feat at TPC Sugarloaf |
| 43 | Balls in the water this week at the 18th green, the last one by Kenny Perry in the playoff |
But his ill fortune didn't stop there. Perry also was victimized by an 18th hole that offered inconsistent breaks depending on where the ball was located.
He had a chance to win in regulation with a 27-foot birdie putt right of the pin. He misread the putt, thinking it would break a little left when it actually broke right. So when he lined up his 14-foot par putt from the other side of the pin that would've extended the playoff, he figured he knew now how it was going to break. But "it broke the opposite way also," Perry said.
"What are you going to do?" he added.
After seeing where Perry's second shot had landed, Imada did an about-face and opted to play it safe with his second shot instead of going for the game like he originally had planned. That's the benefit of hitting your drive 307 yards like Imada did, instead of 295 like Perry did.
"Luckily for me, Kenny had to hit first," Imada explained. "And I couldn't really tell what had happened from up top. I asked a couple of people; one said it's very close and one said it's in the water. So I didn't know what to do. That's why I took a lot of time to hit the second shot."
Last year was a learning experience for Imada. Perry, of course, has learned plenty in his two decades-plus on the PGA TOUR. But one thing no player will ever learn is why the golf gods sometimes act the way they do.
"It's just one of those things where you just kind of wonder why it happened the way it did," McLachlin said.
On Sunday, a lot of players were wondering the same thing.
SHOT OF THE DAY
Unfortunately for Kenny Perry, it's that approach shot in the playoff hole, one of the most unluckiest shots you'll ever see. He deliberately avoided the water with his second shot ... and still found it when his ball ricocheted off a tree and rolled through the green and into the water. That changed the whole complexion of the playoff and allowed Ryuji Imada to lay up.
|
ROUND OF THE DAY
Three players shot 6-under 66s on Sunday, but only one -- Camilo Villegas -- was in contention when he reached the final hole. In fact, Villegas was staring at 65 and a playoff spot after a beautiful second shot that landed him 20 feet from the pin.
But he couldn't nail the eagle putt and settled for birdie and a 14-under total, good enough for third place. Still, shooting a back-nine 31 on Sunday with the pressure on is a confidence booster.
"I'll take it an hopefully I can keep it going from here," Villegas said.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"It was all about the colorful pants. I said I've gotta wear these pants today, and if I wear them, I've got to either play great or nobody's going to pay any attention to me." -- Parker McLachlin, in his new Oakley '08 pants, after shooting a final-round 67 to tie for fifth
HOPING TO RETURN
As a resident of TPC Sugarloaf -- as well as a guy who usually plays well on the course, as he did this week with a tie for 11th -- Stewart Cink would love to see the AT&T Classic here again next year. As of now, there is no sponsor in place for 2009.
"It will be a shame if it is the final one," Cink said after shooting a 3-under 69, his fourth round this week under par. "We all love playing here. More important, the money generated for charity at this tournament is pretty significant."
Cink was asked what the players could do about next year, since the decision is a business one, not one that could be decided out on the golf course.
"The best way that players can influence it is to put on a great show week after week on television and in front of the fans, interact with the fans and interact with the sponsors. It's not a direct impact but it is an indirect impact. By putting on a great show, it attracts people to the game of golf and the PGA TOUR."
Shop your favorite brand name golf equipment and accessories at SHOP.PGATOUR.COM
FANTASY
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 