Phoenix Open: Gary Woodland defeats Chez Reavie in play-off
Tuesday 6 February 2018 14:04, UK
Gary Woodland ended his five-year winless run on the PGA Tour with play-off victory over Chez Reavie at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Woodland fired a round-of-the-day 64 in front of record-breaking crowds at TPC Scottsdale, leaving the pair tied on 18 under, before seeing off Reavie with a par at the first extra sudden-death hole.
Ollie Schniederjans posted a bogey-free 65 to end the week in a share of third with Brendan Steele, with Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar part of the group a further stroke back on 14 under.
Overnight leader Rickie Fowler bogeyed three of his last four holes to struggle to a two-over 73 and finish in tied-11th, while an attendance of more than 64,000 took the week-long total to a PGA Tour all-time high of 719,179 spectators.
Fowler began the day with a one-shot advantage and doubled his lead with a 12-foot birdie at the second, only for Reavie to move alongside by holing a 20-foot eagle from off the third green.
A bogey at the fifth from Fowler saw Reavie pull two clear with a 15-foot gain on the same hole, with the leader pitching in to save par from the rough at the par-four next.
Woodland posted back-to-back birdies from the eighth to reach the turn tied for the lead and bounced back from a blemish at the 11th with a two-putt gain at the 13th.
Fowler missed birdie chances at the 10th and 14th and found the water off the next tee to see his challenge fade, as Woodland dropped a shot at the 14th but tapped in at the par-five next.
A long-range two-putt from Reavie at the 13th saw him creep back ahead, only for Woodland to post back-to-back birdies from the 16th on his way to setting the clubhouse target at 18 under.
Reavie bogeyed the 16th to slip two behind but almost pitched in on his way to birdieing the next and then drained a 20-foot gain at the last to take the contest to extra holes.
As Reavie shaved the edge of the cup with his par-save at the first sudden-death hole, Woodland lagged up a foot short from 35 feet and tapped in the par needed for victory.
Mickelson moved up the leaderboard with three consecutive birdies from the 15th but then double-bogeyed the last, while Kuchar went inches away to a hole-in-one at the par-three 16th on his way to a closing 67.
Scotland's Martin Laird finished five strokes back in a share of ninth, as world No 2 Jon Rahm joined Fowler on 12 under following a one-over 72.
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