Wyndham Championship, Round 4
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By PGATOUR.COM Staff
PLAYOFF PLAY-BY-PLAY, MOORE WINS (6:55 p.m.): Ryan Moore had two putts to win after Kevin Stadler wasn't able to get up-and-down on the 18th hole. He only needed one, making a birdie on the finishing hole for his first career PGA TOUR victory.
"This one is soaking in a little bit," Moore told CBS after sinking the clinching putt. "It felt like an uphill battle to get to this point, just to stay positive and fight through some injuries."
An uphill battle, yes. But not a disappointing career to this point. Moore is still young at 27 years old and this is just his fifth year on the PGA TOUR, one of which was spent recovering from an injury to his left hand that plagued him all of 2006.
All that is behind Moore now. After a storied amateur career, Moore is now a winner on TOUR and probably not for the last time. -- Brian Wacker
(6:45 p.m.): Advantage Ryan Moore. After Kevin Stadler sent his approach shot on the 18th long and right of the green, Moore pretty much stuck his approach from the middle of the fairway, just over 180 yards away. -- Brian Wacker
(6:40 p.m.): On they go. Ryan Moore hasn't missed from inside 5 feet all week and he didn't on the second playoff hole, two-putting from the clear across the other side of the green to save par after Kevin Stadler had two-putted for a par of his own. Up next: Back to No. 18. -- Brian Wacker
(6:30 p.m.): Ryan Moore and Kevin Stadler are both in good shape off the tee on the par-4 10th with shots that landed in the fairway up the right-hand side of the hole. Moore has made par on this hole in all four rounds, while Stadler bogeyed it in the opening round before making pars in each of the next three rounds. -- Brian Wacker
(6:25 p.m.): Jason Bohn's first playoff on the PGA TOUR didn't exactly go how he would have liked. After finding the greenside bunker on his approach on the first extra hole, Bohn left it in the sand, hitting at least 3-4 inches behind the ball. He wasn't able to hole his next shot and as a result was eliminated.
Meanwhile, Ryan Moore two-putted from the middle of the green, while Kevin Stadler did get up-and-down from the sand to extend the playoff to a second hole, the par-4 10th, which is playing as the third-toughest hole on the course today.. -- Brian Wacker
(6:15 p.m.): How big of an advantage was it for Ryan Moore to have bombed his tee shot down the middle on No. 18, some 50 yards ahead of Jason Bohn and Kevin Stadler? Well, he had only an 8-iron into the green and hit it to the middle of the green, while Bohn and Stadler found the greenside bunker on the left. Advantage Moore. -- Brian Wacker
(6:10 p.m.): Ryan Moore has yet to make a birdie on the 18th hole this week at Sedgefield, but he put himself in good position with a huge tee shot right down the middle of the fairway, leaving Kevin Stadler and Jason Bohn well behind him and in the first cut. -- Brian Wacker
PLAYOFF (6 p.m.): There have been three playoffs at the Wyndham Championship since 2000 with the last coming in 2005 when Tim Petrovic beat James Driscoll on the first extra hole.
Of the three men in this year's playoff -- Ryan Moore, Jason Bohn and Kevin Stadler -- only Moore has playoff experience, having lost to Adam Scott in last year's EDS Byron Nelson Championship on the first extra hole. Only Bohn has a win on the PGA TOUR among that group. That came at the 2005 B.C. Open.
Sergio Garcia could have gotten into the playoff, too, but the bunker shot he needed to hole on the 72nd hole feel agonizingly short, stopping about an inch from the hole. -- Brian Wacker
THREE TIED AT THE TOP, PLAYOFF BOUND (5:45 p.m.): Jason Bohn, Ryan Moore and Kevin Stadler are all in at 16 under, which means we're headed for a playoff at the Wyndham Championship after Stadler missed an 8-footer for a birdie on the last hole. How many will be in the playoff will be determined by Sergio Garcia plays the 18th hole. If he birdies, he's in the playoff. If he doesn't, those three will head to extra holes. -- Brian Wacker
BOHN GOES LOW (5:15 p.m.): Jason Bohn certainly isn't a stranger to making some pretty big shots and shooting some low numbers. In 1992, Bohn won a $1 million in a Hole-in-One Shootout while he was in college at Alabama (he's still getting a $50,000 payment each October through 2012). In 2001, Bohn shot a final-round 58 to win the Bayer Championship on the Canadian Tour.
Today, Bohn began the final round in a tie for 17th five shots back, admitting that he wasn't even thinking about challenging for the lead. "To be honest, I was just trying to finish above the fold," Bohn told CBS after his 8-under 62. "I never thought about five shots, no clue, just tried to make some birdies"
Bohn did that alright, making six of them plus an eagle to get in the clubhouse at 16 under. His lead probably won't hold up, but it's the best round of his career on the PGA TOUR and will likely give him his best result of the year, surpassing a tie for sixth in Houston. -- Brian Wacker
SEDGEFIELD SHOOTOUT (5 p.m.): Ryan Moore, seeking his first career win on the PGA TOUR after a storied amateur career, just moved one step closer to it with an eagle followed by a birdie on Nos. 15 and 16 to get to 17 under and in the lead by himself. There's still a lot of golf left and plenty of contenders, but Moore is the type of player who can make birdies in bunches. -- Brian Wacker
THREE TIED AT THE TOP: (4:50 p.m.): Jason Bohn, Ryan Moore and Kevin Stadler are now all tied for the lead at the Wyndham Championship with six players within two and a dozen within three down the stretch. -- Brian Wacker
SUTHERLAND'S BAD BREAK (4:40 p.m.): Talk about bad luck. Kevin Sutherland, trailing by one when he got to the par-3 16th, nearly holed his tee shot. Instead, though, the ball hit the base of the flag where it meets the hole and the ball was sent spinning back off the green.
Not only would a hole-in-one have given Sutherland the lead by himself, it would have netted him 1 million Wyndham Points. That's enough to get a Yamaha digital sound projector, Lane Alpine sofa and a Lane wall saver recliner with enough left over for an Xbox 360 Pro Deluxe Bundle.
Sutherland, by the way, went on to make a bogey. -- Brian Wacker
STADLER GRABS A SHARE (4:32 p.m.): Jason Bohn's hold on solo first didn't last long. That's because Kevin Stadler just bombed in a long birdie putt -- 45 feet to be exact -- on the 14th hole to get to 16 under and a share of the top spot with Bohn. Stay tuned -- this thing is going to be awfully interesting with a bunch of guys in contention, including Sergio Garcia. -- Brian Wacker
CHANGE AT THE TOP (4:20 p.m.): Three straight birdies, three bogeys in five holes. That doesn't even come close to summing up Sergio Garcia's round so far, but the result is Garcia falling out of the lead altogether after his latest bogey, on the par-3 12th.
The guy who's overtaken him is Jason Bohn, who is 8 under on his round and 16 under for the week, one shot ahead of Garcia, as he finishes up his last couple of holes.
The real story is Garcia, though. His putting has gone out the window and so has some of his usually spot-on ballstriking. As hot as he was when he made those three birdies, he's just as cold now. The one advantage Garcia has is that he has more holes left than Bohn, so he could catch him and still win. Garcia will need to turn things around quickly, though -- seven times he's had the 54-hole lead, but only twice has he converted. -- Brian Wacker
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RILEY REALLY STRUGGLING (4:05 p.m.): Chris Riley began the final round in a tie for the lead, but he is really struggling, having made the turn in 1-over 36 after bogeys on two of his final four holes on the front nine. He's also made some miscalculations off the tee, finding a hazard on No. 8 and finding trouble on No. 11, where he was short off the tee and short on the approach. A bad pitch shot later and Riley was two-putting for a third bogey in the final round.
Sergio Garcia is also struggling. He once led by three with three straight birdies, but has since given two of those back and is now tied for the lead with Jason Bohn, who, after an eagle on the par-5 15th is 8 under on his round. If Bohn birdies in, he'll shoot 59. That's a big if, but that gives you a pretty good idea of how goo he has been so far (click here to follow Bohn live with Shot Tracker). -- Brian Wacker
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WHAT'S AT STAKE (3:30 p.m.): There's more at stake than a PGA TOUR title and all that goes with it this week at the Wyndham Championship, most notably all the FedExCup implications with the Playoffs beginning next week. Here are a few of the highlights:
• Any player currently ranked 103rd or better cannot fall below 125th and will advance to The Barclays.
• Sergio Garcia could move as high as 35th with a victory.
• Chez Reavie and Glen Day both would need to finish in the top 3 to have a chance of advancing.
• Kevin Stadler, currently 133rd, will most likely earn a spot at The Barclays with a top-15 finish.
• Fred Couples could rise as high as 71st with a top-10 finish.
RILEY RATTLED, SERGIO STUMBLES (3:15 p.m.): Chris Riley's chances of winning were slipping away as he made one par after another here in the final round. Well, those chances might have slimmed even more after Riley just made his first major mistake of the day, finding the hazard off the tee at the eighth hole, leading to a bogey to drop him to 1 over today.
Sergio Garcia, on the other hand, was rolling along with three straight birdies and a chance to distance himself even further until the one club that's plagued him consistently for years got him again. Garcia is tied for first in distance of putts made and fourth in total putts this week, but he just three-jacked for bogey on No. 8. Garcia still leads by two, but if he somehow finds a way to fall short today, that hole will replay in his mind over and over. -- Brian Wacker
GARCIA FINDING HIS GROOVE (3 p.m.): When Sergio Garcia is putting like he is today, he's capable of doing exactly what he is doing and right now that's making birdies. Garcia now leads by three after making his third straight birdie on the seventh hole.
Kevin Stadler and Chris Riley are doing their best to keep pace, but if they keep making pars, they're going to get "lapped," as Bill Haas put it yesterday. -- Brian Wacker
SERGING BACK (2:36 p.m.): Chris Riley's solo grip on the lead was short-lived -- Sergio Garcia just birdied the par-5 fifth to pull even at 16 under. Meanwhile, Jason Bohn has put together the best front nine of anyone in the final round, making the turn in 30 with birdies on four of his first five holes and another on the ninth. The problem for Bohn, though, is that he's still three back and it might take another 30 on the back nine to catch the leaders. -- Brian Wacker
SOLO LEADER (2:22 p.m.): Through the first three rounds, Chris Riley had seven birdies and an eagle on the front nine at Sedgefield, none of which came on the par-4 fourth hole -- until the final round.
With that birdie, Riley now has the lead by himself at 16 under. He's not without company though -- a dozen players are within four shots of his lead with a lot of golf still to be played. To follow Riley's group live with Shot Tracker, click here. -- Brian Wacker
AMATEUR HOUR (2:10 p.m.): Due to the number of players who would have made the cut here, there was a secondary cut made after the third round was completed this morning. That meant that 16-year-old Justin Thomas, who was 2 under after three rounds, didn't make it to the final round.
Still, it was a successful week for Thomas, who at one point was challenging for the lead after an opening-round 65. He isn't the only amateur who has had success here, though. See the chart below for more. -- Brian Wacker
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STILL TIED AT THE TOP (1:55 p.m.): Sergio Garcia and Chris Riley have gone shot for shot so far here in the final round, playing the first three holes in even par. Bill Haas, meanwhile, has already made an early bogey, dropping him three shots back and putting eight players between himself and the leaders.
Meanwhile, Jason Bohn has been red hot with birdies on four of his first five holes. Bohn has cooled a bit with pars on his last couple of holes, but he's in contention. It's also a much better final round than his last time in contention, when Bohn shot a 74 in Houston earlier this year, stumbling in to a tie for sixth. -- Brian Wacker
HAAS HANGING TOUGH (1:25 p.m.): Yesterday, Bill Haas talked about how he was going to have to be aggressive, fire at flags and that it would take something like a 65 for an opportunity to win.
It turns out Haas was only off by a stroke. He finished off a third-round 66 this morning and as a result is in the last threesome of the day, two shots off the lead of Sergio Garcia and Chris Riley.
This also represents probably the best opportunity Haas has had to win on the PGA TOUR since the 2007 Viking Classic, where he finished in a tie for third.
"Things feel good right now and hopefully the putter will, too," said Haas, who went to school at nearby Wake Forest and played Sedgefield numerous times in his amateur days.
The putter hasn't exactly been hot for Haas -- he's taken 31 and 30 putts each of the last two rounds -- but if he keeps hitting greens and making birdies like he has, he'll be right there at the end of today. -- Brian Wacker
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING (1:12 p.m.): Chris Riley has never played in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. And it didn't look good when he came to Sedgefield this week ranked 129th in the standings.
How times have changed. Riley is tied for the lead with Sergio Garcia and entering the final round has jumped 87 spots in the projected FedExCup standings. He's looking for his first win since 2002, as well.
"I feel good," Riley said. " I'm putting it really nice. ... I'm real excited about this afternoon. It's a great opportunity for me. ... Still a lot of golf left out there. I just hope I have a shot with nine holes to go." -- Helen Ross
EL NIŅO RETURNS (12:55 p.m.): How well is Sergio Garcia playing? The bogey he made at No. 17 as he completed his third round Sunday morning was his first in 38 holes -- which he had played in 14 under.
Garcia's second-consecutive 64 propelled him into a tie for the lead with Chris Riley. The two have a two-stroke advantage over Bill Haas and a three-shot edge on Steve Marino, Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose, Michael Allen and Kevin Stadler.
"I played good yesterday and today," Garcia said. "A little weak last couple of holes. Made a good 4 on the last -- hit a weak ball on 17. Other than that, it was good. I hit a lot of good shots. I hit it pretty close.
"I made a couple good putts here and there. It was a fairly easy 64, you could say."
Garcia came to Greensboro to improve his standing (115th) in FedExCup points and assure himself of playing the minimum 15 events to retain his PGA TOUR membership. Now he's looking for his eighth TOUR win and first since the 2008 PLAYERS Championship.
"I'm still trying to get better, and this afternoon is going to be a good test, and hopefully I can be up to the challenge and see if I can get a win," Garcia, who only has one top-10 this year, said.
SUNDAY STUMBLE (12:42 p.m.): Glen Day was working on a round of 8 under that would have tied his career low when he came to Sedgefield's 18th hole in the third round earlier this morning. A double bogey later, the veteran will have to start the final round 11 under and four off the lead.
"I was really disappointed on the last hole," Day said. "I hit a good driver that landed in the fairway on the right-hand side. It kicked right, and it rolled right up against the primary cut in the just the first cut of rough, and I thought I hit a good shot.
"It squirted out to the right and hit the cart path twice and went out of bounds and made double. You know, other than that, I did good. I'm playing good. I am tired, which hopefully will be to my benefit this afternoon. I'll just relax and swing and play." -- Helen Ross
ROSE READY TO BLOOM (12:28 p.m.): Don't be surprised to see Justin Rose mount a final-round charge. He ranks first in both fairways hit and greens in regulation and finished off his second 65 on Sunday morning to move to 12 under.
Rose's putter hasn't been quite as cooperative, though. He used 29 putts in the third round, his lowest tally of the week, and has 90 total.
" I think it's one low round away," said Rose, who ranks 103rd in the FedExCup standings. "I think just continue playing like how I've been playing. I've been hitting lots of greens, 17 greens today. So keep getting the birdie chances and wait for the putter to run hot." -- Helen Ross
SNEDEKER STAYING CLOSE (12:12 p.m.): Brandt Snedeker soldiered on despite a bout with food poisoning. He came back to Sedgefield Sunday morning and finished off a round of 65 that left him at 12 under and in a tie for fourth, three behind the leaders, Chris Riley and Sergio Garcia.
"I feel okay right now," Snedeker said. "Good golf makes you feel better so we'll get an IV in me and I'll see how it is this afternoon."
Snedeker, who won the 2007 Wyndham Championship in its final year at Forest Oaks, said he "definitely" felt well enough to contend. At the same time, there were times Sunday morning he was more worried about the way he felt than the way he played.
"That's a good thing, not worry about the outcome, worry about standing upright," he said. "I made a couple birdies this morning coming in which was great. I really played a solid round of golf.
"I'm playing great, been playing great for six, eight weeks. I'm putting fantastic and keep the ball in the fairway. I like my chances."
The lone blemish on Snedeker's card was a bogey at the 18th hole. He had six birdies over the two-day, rain-delayed, third-round marathon, including four on the back nine.
"I hit a lot of quality golf shots," Snedeker, who's 75th in the FedExCup, said. "When you drive in the fairway on this golf course and as soft as it is, you're going to have a lot of birdie opportunities. Hopefully I can do that again in the fourth round." -- Helen Ross
BLUE SKIES (12 p.m.): When play resumed at 7:45 a.m. Sunday morning, the skies were blue and the temperatures were in the 70s.
The cold front that prompted two rain delays on Saturday has moved through the area and partly cloudy skies with highs in the mid-80s are expected. There is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoon.
Tee times for the final round will run from 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. off split tees. The ball will be played as it lies, rather than under lift, clean and place conditions as the third round was. -- Helen Ross
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