Shell Houston Open: Sunday's play
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CASEY COMES THROUGH (6:47 p.m.): With nearly the exact same putt as he had on the 72nd hole, Paul Casey tapped in for bogey to defeat J.B. Holmes on the first extra hole, securing his first PGA TOUR win and moving to sixth in the FedExCup standings. Casey's been close before, but this one had to feel good, despite the bogey on the 72nd hole. The 18th was playing as a par-5 all day and Casey will take some good momentum to the Masters next week.
Holmes, meanwhile, missed out on becoming the only U.S. player in their 20s with three TOUR wins, but more importantly he missed out on a trip to the Masters. Holmes needed to win to get in at Augusta. Given his 2-hour, 40-minute wait before the playoff, it's hard to be too critical of Holmes' tee shot in the playoff, but the hole's 17th water ball of the day will sting a while. -- Brian Wacker
HOLMES COMES UP SHORT (6:45 p.m.): Needing to almost certainly make his bogey putt from 44 feet, 9 inches, J.B. Holmes hit a great putt, right on line, but came up just short. -- Brian Wacker
CASEY COMES UP SHORT (6:43 p.m.): Paul Casey just left himself nearly the exact same putt he two-putted for bogey in regulation by chipping it short of the spine in the green. Still, the pressure is on J.B. Holmes, who pretty much needs to make this to have a chance to extend the playoff. -- Brian Wacker
HOLMES' APPROACH (6:41 p.m.): Needing to hit it close from 172 yards out on his approach shot, J.B. Holmes put himself in a precarious position, leaving his shot on the spine that runs through the middle of the green. That's going to leave him an almost impossible putt to save bogey. Paul Casey, meanwhile, can now likely chip up and two-putt for the win. -- Brian Wacker
PLAY-BY-PLAY (6:38 p.m.): Paul Casey left himself a little short of the green from just over 200 yards out, meaning that J.B. Holmes is likely going to have to get up and down from 172 yards out to extend the playoff. -- Brian Wacker
CASEY IN CONTROL (6:35 p.m.): J.B. Holmes third shot from the tee found the middle of the fairway, but Paul Casey is still in control as the two prepare to hit their next shots. Casey, in the bunker, will probably play for a bogey, which should be good enough to win. -- Brian Wacker
HOLMES HITS FIRST (6:32 p.m.): Using driver, J.B. Holmes just pulled it into the water on No. 18. His first shot in nearly 3 hours was not a good one. Paul Casey, going with 3-wood again, found the right fairway bunker, but at least he's dry. Holmes' hopes for a Masters invite may have just drowned. -- Brian Wacker
BREAKING DOWN 18 (6:26 p.m.): Paul Casey and J.B. Holmes are headed to a sudden-death playoff and will go back to the toughest hole on the course -- the par-4 18th, which is playing as a par-5 today given the conditions.
Casey bogeyed the hole a few minutes ago, but does have two pars and a birdie on the hole earlier in the week. Holmes, meanwhile, parred it each of the last two rounds after bogeying it in the first two rounds.
Give his length off the tee, you have to give the advantage to Holmes, especially if he hits driver again, but you just don't know. Holmes hasn't hit a shot in the tournament in over 2 hours. It'll be interesting to see if Casey hits 3-wood again. -- Brian Wacker
PLAYOFF IN HOUSTON (6:24 p.m.): Maybe hitting 3-wood off the tee on 18 wasn't such a good idea for Paul Casey. With the wind blowing hard into him and water left, Casey passed on the driver to go with a power draw with the 3-wood. As a result, he left himself 212 yards into the wind. Casey hit a long iron and came up short, leaving himself a long bunker shot. With an awkward stance, hitting into the wind, wth the water behind the green, Casey's bunker shot came up short and his ball rolled back down the spine that fronts the hole. He then two-putted from 35 feet, 11 inches for a bogey to fall back into a tie with J.B. Holmes and a playoff. -- Brian Wacker
CASEY CLOSING IN (5:55 p.m.): Paul Casey just hit a terrific approach shot on the par-4 17th, where he's in position to make birdie an increase his lead over J.B. Holmes to two. Even if he doesn't make it, however, you have to like his chances coming to 18 with a one-shot lead. Either way, Casey getting his first win on the PGA TOUR is going to come down to the final -- and most difficult -- hole at Redstone. -- Brian Wacker
FREDDIE FINISHED (5:40 p.m.): Fred Couples is finished both literally and figuratively. Trying to become the oldest winner in PGA TOUR history, Couples stumbled down the stretch at Redstone Golf Club with bogeys on each of his last three holes.
To be fair, Nos. 16, 17 and 18 have played extremely tough today, but it clearly wasn't Couples' day. He hit just 6 of 14 fairways and took 30 putts. Couples left himself in some tough spots, especially on the final three holes -- finding the fairway bunker on 18, for example -- and simply wasn't able to recover.
"I haven't played 54 holes in that short a time in a long time," Couples said. "I'm exhausted, but my back's holding up, which is good. There was just no way I was going to birdie 17 or 18." -- Brian Wacker
'SCARY' SHOT (5:33 p.m.): Wondering if the 18th is getting easier? A bit, but not much. The par-4 finishing hole is now playing to an average of 5.1.
What's it like to stand on that tee? "Scary. Terrifying,'' said J.B. Holmes. "It's a very intimidating tee shot. After you hit that, the next shot is just as hard, if not harder.
"The bail out is right and if you do bail out, you have the bunker over there. And that's not easy.'' -- Melanie Hauser
VAN PELT STRUGGLES (5:22 p.m.): Bo Van Pelt, who began the final round with a share of the lead, has struggled mightily today with four bogeys and a double bogey through 15 holes.
You got the sense it was going to be all uphill -- or all into the wind -- for Van Pelt when he double-bogeyed No. 6, where his approach on the 436-yard hole found the water. He bounced back with a birdie two holes later -- his only one of the day -- but it's been a struggle since. That's what happens when you hit just 3 of 12 fairways and take 30 putts through 15 holes. -- Brian Wacker
| A sip of Maginnes | |
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COUPLES COLLAPSE? (5:00 p.m.): Paul Casey now has the lead all by himself after Fred Couples bogeyed the par-3 16th. It's been a tough day for Couples, who has more bogeys in today's final round (3) than he has in his previous three rounds (2).
This is the second time this season that Couples has been in contention down the stretch. At the Northern Trust Open, he was battling Phil Mickelson over the last few holes but struggled with the putter, missing five putts from inside 15 feet, including one from 3 feet to save par on No. 4 and another from 6 feet to save par on No. 12 at Riviera. His fate was sealed that day when he fanned a 7-iron the 72nd hole.
Unfortunately for Couples, another minor meltdown might be taking place here in Houston at another course he knows and loves. -- Brian Wacker
CASEY GRABS SHARE OF LEAD (4:50 p.m.): Paul Casey just moved to 12 under and a share of the lead with a short birdie putt on No. 13. Casey, who's won nine times around the world, is still looking for win No. 1 on the PGA TOUR and now is in good position, provided his putting can hold up. He's third in the field in putts this week and when he's putting that well, Casey can be tough. -- Brian Wacker
TOUGH TRIO (4:35 p.m.): The 18th hole isn't the only one playing tough today. The two holes prior to it are claiming their fair share of victims, too. A total of nine birdies have been made over the last three holes in the final round, with only one of them coming on 18 and four coming on 16 and 17.
While 18 is playing as the toughest hole on the course, 16 and 17 aren't far behind, currently ranked as the seventh and sixth-toughest, respectively. Maybe J.B. Holmes' 11 under will hold up after all. A lot will depend on what Fred Couples, at 12 under at the moment, does the rest of the way. -- Brian Wacker
BITTER FINISH (4:15 p.m.): Sergio Garcia just tapped in for a triple-bogey 7 on the 18th hole after finding the water off the tee. That closed out an 81 for Garcia, who matched Greg Norman and David Berganio Jr. with the worst round of the day so far.
That won't leave a good taste in Garcia's mouth as he readies for the Masters next week. Ditto Norman, who stumbled in with a back-nine 44. Norman double-bogeyed 17 and made a snowman on the 18th, where he found the water twice -- once on his layup shot and then again on his approach. -- Brian Wacker
EARLY CLUBHOUSE LEADER (4:00 p.m.): J.B. Holmes is the clubhouse leader after closing out a round of 3-under 69 with a great par save on 18. Holmes is in the house at 11 under for the week and will have to sit and wait to see if that will be good enough to win or get him in a playoff.
Right now, Fred Couples is at 12 under with most of the back nine to play, but the 18th is going to claim some victims before this one's over.
You know a hole is playing tough when a guy like Holmes, who hits it miles off the tee, needs a 4-iron to get home from 195 yards. "The course is playing really tough, especially the last three or four holes," Holmes said. "The 18th is a par-5 today."
He's not kidding. The par-4 finishing hole is playing more than a full stroke over par. -- Brian Wacker
COUPLES AND KNOST BATTLING (3:40 p.m.): Colt Knost is playing in his 17th PGA TOUR event, while Fred Couples is playing his 17th Shell Houston Open and his 577th TOUR event.
Couples, at 49 years, 6 months, 2 days, would be the oldest winner in tournament history, surpassing Gene Littler, who was 46 years, 9 months when he won here in 1977.
Couples would also be the eighth-oldest winner in TOUR history. Colt Knost, at 23 years, 9 months, 10 days, would be the youngest winner in tournament history, surpassing Corey Pavin, who won in 1984 at 24 years, 4 months, 13 days.
Meanwhile, If J.B. Holmes wins, he'll be the only U.S. player in his 20s with three or more TOUR wins. -- Chris Reimer
TOUGH FINISH (3:29 p.m.): The 488-yard, par-4 18th has been the toughest hole all week at Redstone, but it's reached a whole new level today, playing more than a full stroke over par. Ten balls have already found the water -- including Greg Norman's seconds ago -- and only 8 of 39 balls so far have hit the green in regulation, which also ranks tougher than any other hole here. Only 14 of 42 tee shots have found the fairway, good for second-toughest on the course at the moment.
All those scary numbers ought to make for an interesting finish, especially with the wind blowing hard again. -- Brian Wacker
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WHO HAS THE ADVANTAGE? (3:10 p.m.): Fred Couples is in the lead -- for now -- but things could get awfully interesting down the stretch at Redstone. Couples is through 10 holes, but he has a number of players chasing him, some of which are only through 7 or 8 holes. That includes Paul Casey, who somehow has yet to win in the U.S. He's even par through seven and just one off the lead.
Couples could get in early and post a number -- and that number may hold -- but several players will be trying to chase him down. Another of those players is Hunter Mahan, who has the day's best round going at 6 under though 14 holes after birdies on three of his last five holes. He's moved up nearly 40 spots on the leaderboard because of it.
You can't even try to predict what's going to happen the rest of the way. About the only thing that is certain is that we'll finish on time thanks to the players not re-pairing after the third round was completed this morning. -- Brian Wacker
Below is a look at Mahan's scorecard so far:
SHORT-GAME IMPORTANCE (2:50 p.m.): The folks running the Shell Houston Open did their best to make conditions at Redstone Golf Club as close to Augusta National as possible. Given how fast the greens are running and the importance of short game here, which I'll explain below, it's looks like they succeeded.
The top five players in putting average this week -- Geoff Ogilvy, John Mallinger, Paul Casey, Bo Van Pelt and Lucas Glover -- are all near the top of the leaderboard. (Though Van Pelt is off to s shaky start in the final round at 3 over). Of that group, Van Pelt also ranks in the top 10 in greens in regulation.
Meanwhile, Lee Westwood is the only one in contention that ranks in the top 15 in fairways hit this week. -- Brian Wacker
HOME COURSE ADVANTAGE (2:35 p.m.): If there's such a thing as home course advantage, this might be one of them for Fred Couples. Much like Michigan State at Ford Field in the Final Four or the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena, Couples is right at home in Houston.
Beyond this tournament being the last place Couples won on the PGA TOUR, or him being Houston's adopted son, the proof is in how he's played this week. He's hit all but 11 fairways all week and is 10th in the field in putting.
Only once in six trips to Houston since 2000 has Couples finished over par here, where he's a combined 42-under par in that period. Obviously, he'll add to that total this week whether he wins or not. -- Brian Wacker
HOW QUICKLY THINGS CHANGE (2:15 p.m.): Fred Couples and Colt Knost both had the lead to themselves at different points today, but now we're right back to multiple players being tied for the lead -- with Couples being one of them.
We're in the final round, but with players scattered all over the golf course because officials didn't re-pair groups after the third round was completed this morning -- something that saved the tournament at least 2 hours -- you can expect to see a lot of jumping around on the leaderboard. -- Brian Wacker
KNOST NOW HAS LEAD (2:05 p.m.): How ironic is it that Colt Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur winner who turned down the invite to the Masters that goes with that honor to turn professional, may get to the Masters after all.
A win would get Knost in the field next week at Augusta, two years after he turned down invitations to the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open when he was the top-ranked amateur player in the country.
You have to think not many people in his shoes would turn down those opportunities. But that's what Knost did, choosing instead to turn pro. He played just four PGA TOUR events as a professional in 2007 with his best finish a T39 at the Frys.com Open.
Last year, Knost finished sixth on the Nationwide Tour money list with two victories to earn his TOUR card for this year. Now in the lead by a stroke in Houston, he may get that Masters invite once again. Stay tuned. -- Brian Wacker
STILL LOOKING FOR A WIN (1:43 p.m.): It's going to be a crazy finish here at the Shell Houston Open -- more high winds gusting 25-35 mph, threesomes off both tees without being re-paired for the final round and guys like Fred Couples and Bo Van Pelt in the hunt.
Talk about a contrast with Couples and Van Pelt. Couples entered this season 20th on the PGA TOUR's all-time career money list with 15 career victories. Van Pelt, meanwhile, ranks seventh on the TOUR in most money won without a victory on the TOUR.
Van Pelt, currently 60th in the FedExCup standings, has more than $7 million in career earnings, but doesn't have a W to show for it. The closest he came was last year, when he finished T2 in Puerto Rico, where he held the 18-, 36- and 54-hole lead before getting passed by Greg Kraft.
Look closer, however, and you'll see there's a pretty good reason why Van Pelt has had a pretty successful career: The 33-year-old has 20 career top 10s.
Though he's 1 over in the final round after a bogey on the opening hole, if Van Pelt putts the way he has all week -- sixth in the field -- he could finally get that elusive victory. -- Brian Wacker
COUPLES IN THE LEAD (1:30 p.m.): Fred Couples just took the outright lead with his first birdie of the final round, rolling in a 14-foot putt on the par-5 fourth hole. That moved Couples to 12 under for the week and one shot clear of the field. Couples is trying to win for the first time since 2003 when he was victorious at ... the Shell Houston Open. -- Brian Wacker
Track Couples' round shot-by-shot with Shot Tracker by clicking here.
CHINK IN THE ARMOUR (1:10 p.m.): There are four players tied for the lead at 11 under at the moment and another three players one shot back. One of them is not Tommy Armour III, who could have the outright lead if not for a colossal disaster on the 18th hole at the end of his third round earlier today.
Armour's tee shot on the 471-yard finishing hole found the water left of the fairway before he re-teed it and found the fairway bunker on the right. It took Armour three shots to get out of the sand as he reached the green in 6 before two-putting for a snowman quadruple-bogey.
If Armour, now at 9 under for the week, had parred, or even bogeyed, the hole, he would have the lead by himself.
That's the second time this season that Armour made a costly 8. He was tied for second during the third round of the Northern Trust Open when he quadruple-bogeyed the eighth hole at Riviera, where he struggled to get his ball to stay on the green from the thick rough -- it took five swings from just off the green before he sank a 22-footer for a one-putt snowman. -- Brian Wacker
EYES ON AUGUSTA (12:50 p.m.): As you read the Live Report and watch final-round action at the Shell Houston Open unfold online and TV this afternoon, don't forget about the story within a story -- earning the final invitational to the Masters.
Of the players currently in the top 20, here are the ones who will be taking next week off without a win: Colt Knost, Bo Van Pelt, Brian Davis, Ryan Moore, Scott Piercy, Jonathan Byrd, Jason Bohn, John Senden, Kevin Na, Lucas Glover and Tommy Armour III.
All of those players started the final round within three strokes of the lead held jointly by six players. -- Helen Ross
CAPTAIN COUPLES (12:30 p.m.): How ironic. If Fred Couples goes on to win the Shell Houston Open today, he would jump into the top 20 on his own Presidents Cup points list. And, if the 2009 U.S. captain finishes second? He could bump up into the top 40.
Couples won here in 2003 and heads into the final round tied with five others -- Ryan Moore, Colt Knost, Bo Van Pelt, Paul Casey and Geoff Ogilvy -- at 11-under-par 205. -- Melanie Hauser
ODDS AND ENDS (12:15 p.m.): John Senden hasn't had a three-putt since the 11th hole in the final round of the Buick Invitational. If you're counting, that's a PGA TOUR-leading 276 holes. ...
When was the last time a TOUR event headed into the final round with six players tied for the lead? Sometime before 1970 when the TOUR began keeping that stat. This year, the most players that have been tied are just two, while last year saw five players sharing the lead going into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. -- Melanie Hauser
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