A first-time PGA Tour Champions winner was crowned in the sudden-death play-off at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. Four golfers also made it to the next round of the tournament.
Richard Green and Harrison Frazar tied after 54 holes of play at the Country Club of Virginia, the first of the three Charles Schwab Cup post-season events that will force a playoff.
Green has won three professional titles on the DP World Tour. Frazar won his only professional tournament in 2011, the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational. This event featured golfers on the PGA Tour and LPGA as well as Champions, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.
Green, a left-handed golfer from Australia shot rounds of 67 69 69 to reach the clubhouse in first place. Then he played the waiting-game. Frazar’s score was 65-71 – 69. He missed an eagle attempt on the par-5 18, which would have won it. He then made a birdie from about three feet, forcing the extra round.
Frazar celebrated by pumping his fist after he sank a 10-footer on the 18th.
After his win, an emotional Frazar stated: “It has been a long and long time coming.” You think that your career is over, but through faith, friends, and people who believe you, you decide to start it again. The void can be described as: the void of competing, or the void of missing out on that victory. The nerves are the main thing. It’s a little scary, but it is fun. It’s irreplaceable. It’s an emotional experience. It’s emotional because you don’t know when you’ll get back there.
Frazar, who was 33rd in the standings among 72 players that made it to the postseason, jumped up 13 spots. Green improved from 24th to 14th by 10 places. The season-long championship is out of reach for both golfers. Steve Stricker has an overwhelming lead in points. He skipped the Dominion and is so far ahead that only 5 golfers have a chance to catch him. They are Steven Alker (who missed the Dominion), Bernhard Langer (who also skipped it), Stephen Ames, David Toms, and Ernie Els.
Els tied for seventh place, the best amongst that group. Ames and Langer tied in 25th place, while Toms and Ames tied in 20th.
Who’s in, who’s out?
The TimberTech Championship will be held in just two weeks and only the top 54 competitors will advance.
Shane Bertsch (56-45), John Huston (55-52), Rocco Mediate (59-53), and Charli We (57-54) have all won their games. Matt Gogel (51-45), David Branshaw (22-57), Woody Austin 54-58), and Kirk Triplett 53 to 59 are now out of the running.
David Duval, the man who fought back in the final round of the regular season to grab the 71st position, has climbed up to No. It wasn’t good enough to get him through. Jim Furyk shot a 76 in his first round and had to withdraw due to an injury.
What’s next?
The circuit will take a week-long break before the 54 hole TimberTech Championship at the Old Course of the Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton in Florida, on Nov. 3 -5.
The top 36 players will then move onto the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club, which takes place from Nov. 9-12.
