Gainey’s sparkling 60 wins McGladrey Classic
23 Oct 2012 7:59 AM IST
Tommy Gainey couldn’t quite reach golf’s magic number of 59 -- but a sparkling 60 was good enough to give him a first US PGA Tour victory at the McGladrey Classic on Sunday.
Gainey nabbed eight birdies and holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle on the par-five 15th en route to a 10-under 60 that gave him a 16-under total of 264 and a one- shot victory over David Toms.
A birdie at the last would have made Gainey the sixth player in PGA Tour history to record a 59. He hit his approach inside 20 feet but his birdie attempt came up short.
Nevertheless Gainey trailed by seven shots entering the final round and his comeback matched the second-biggest for a victory on the tour this season.
Gainey’s round included seven successive threes from the 11th four of them birdies and one of them his eagle.
He had to wait more than two hours to see if his lead would stand up. ‘Got a long way to go,’ Gainey said as he walked off the 18th green, with the overnight leaders yet to make the turn.
When it was all over, Gainey was a little emotional. ‘It’s been a hard year for me and finally, we got it right,’ said the 37-year-old with an unconventional swing and the nickname ‘Two Gloves’ for his habit of wearing gloves on both hands.
ATWAL ENDS TIED 10TH AT MCGLADREY CLASSIC
After holding the lead at the halfway stage and then lying third, Indian golfer Arjun Atwal slipped on the final day for a very modest 71 to end tied 10th at the McGladrey Classic.
It was his best finish for the year but did very little to move him closer to keep the card for 2013.
Atwal had rounds of 67, 63, 69 and 71 to be 10-under 270 ending 10th.
Gainey nabbed eight birdies and holed out from a greenside bunker for eagle on the par-five 15th en route to a 10-under 60 that gave him a 16-under total of 264 and a one- shot victory over David Toms.
A birdie at the last would have made Gainey the sixth player in PGA Tour history to record a 59. He hit his approach inside 20 feet but his birdie attempt came up short.
Nevertheless Gainey trailed by seven shots entering the final round and his comeback matched the second-biggest for a victory on the tour this season.
Gainey’s round included seven successive threes from the 11th four of them birdies and one of them his eagle.
He had to wait more than two hours to see if his lead would stand up. ‘Got a long way to go,’ Gainey said as he walked off the 18th green, with the overnight leaders yet to make the turn.
When it was all over, Gainey was a little emotional. ‘It’s been a hard year for me and finally, we got it right,’ said the 37-year-old with an unconventional swing and the nickname ‘Two Gloves’ for his habit of wearing gloves on both hands.
ATWAL ENDS TIED 10TH AT MCGLADREY CLASSIC
After holding the lead at the halfway stage and then lying third, Indian golfer Arjun Atwal slipped on the final day for a very modest 71 to end tied 10th at the McGladrey Classic.
It was his best finish for the year but did very little to move him closer to keep the card for 2013.
Atwal had rounds of 67, 63, 69 and 71 to be 10-under 270 ending 10th.
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