In the PGA Tour's first play-off with at least five participants since 2021, Luke List headed back to 18th tee with Ben Griffin, Scott Stallings and Swedes Ludvig Åberg and Henrik Norlander after they finished 18 under; all missed birdie attempts apart from List who holed huge putt
Monday 9 October 2023 07:26, UK
Luke List holed a 45-foot birdie putt to win a five-man play-off and capture the Sanderson Farms Championship title.
In the PGA Tour's first play-off with at least five participants since 2021, List headed back to the 18th tee at the Country Club of Jackson with Ben Griffin, Scott Stallings and Swedes Ludvig Åberg and Henrik Norlander after all five finished 18-under 270 in regulation.
Åberg was farthest from the pin after the quintet hit their second shots at the par-four hole. His lag putt had a similar line as List's, and List followed by hitting a perfectly-paced putt that broke slightly right to left before going in.
The others missed their birdie tries, leaving List to celebrate his second victory on tour. The 38-year-old also won the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open.
"It's been a full rollercoaster," List said. "I thought I played really well all day and just hung in there. I didn't think it was gonna be enough, but here we are."
Griffin, 27, held the 54-hole lead and fumbled a chance to win the tournament in regulation, with two of his five bogeys coming at the 16th and 18th. His par try at the last slowly curled just around the cup, dropping him to 18 under for the first time all day and forcing the play-off.
Griffin, who came up short of his first PGA Tour title, said his family "wanted me to win more than I probably wanted to".
"It's just a bummer," Griffin said. "But I'm so happy to have all of them in my life. They have my back and I know I'm going to be back."
Griffin shot a two-over 74. List, Stallings and Norlander each shot 70, while Åberg - the only Ryder Cup participant in this week's field - posted his fourth straight round in the 60s with a 68.
List was not expecting a play-off would be possible. He gave his hat to a spectator at the end of his fourth round.
"Then I heard Ben made bogey, which is tough on 16, and he had a heck of a week," List said. "Yeah, I was not expecting it when I posted 18 under."
List is projected to rocket from No 119 to No 61 in the FedExCup Fall series standings, which will determine not only PGA Tour cards for the 2024 season but some of the designated events. The victory qualifies List for The Sentry in January, as well as The Masters.
"It obviously opens up a lot of doors - The Sentry in Maui and Augusta and some stuff," List said. "I was just really happy with the way I hung in there mentally throughout the weekend without my A-game, per se, golf swing.
"Usually in the past I would fold up and get a little frustrated, and I was able to just hang in there. My caddie did a fantastic job on keeping me present, and just very fortunate to come out on top."
China's Carl Yuan, playing with Griffin in the final pairing, could have made it a six-man play-off but two-putted for bogey on the 18th hole. He shot a 72 and tied with Mark Hubbard (67) and South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout (68) at 17 under.
Hubbard had a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch from the 13th to 15th to get to 19 under but bogeyed the final two holes to drop out of play-off range.
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