NORTON, Mass. — Boston sports fans love their playoffs and Labor Day’s Deutsche Bank Championship did not disappoint. With birdies on his final three holes Monday, Webb Simpson came from behind to defeat Chez Reavie on the second extra frame of a sudden-death playoff at TPC Boston.
Simpson, who notched his second PGA Tour victory in three weeks, drained a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th to finish with a 6-under 65. Despite his dramatic 72nd hole, it appeared Simpson would have to settle for second place, until Reavie’s third shot to the same green flew into the long rough and he made a bogey, tying Simpson at 15-under 269.
The two replayed the 18th and each birdied it, Simpson canning a 15-footer. It was back to the par-4 17th, where Simpson dropped a
10-foot birdie putt and ended Reavie’s improbable run.
“I [felt] like next time I was in contention it [would] be a lot easier than [winning the Wyndham Championship],” said Simpson, who
moved to the top of the FedEx Cup points list. “It was just as hard.”
Simpson’s win guaranteed he would one be of the top-five contenders at the Tour Championship later this month and ensured him a spot on the U.S. Presidents Cup team in November.
Reavie, for his part, was not unhappy with his runner-up status after a nearly flawless day. Following birdies on two of the most difficult holes — 11 and 14 — that one blemish, however, was his undoing.
With Simpson in the clubhouse and the wind gusting, Reavie did not second-guess his decision to lay up on 18. He would, though, use a different club for his approach.
“If I had to do it all over again,” Reavie said about his final wedge shot in regulation, “I would have hit a lob wedge instead of a sand wedge.”
Still, Reavie, who began the 2011 season with a medical exemption after knee surgery and is ineligible for full tour status until next year, played his way into the Tour Championship. He also won spots in three majors in 2012, including the Masters.
It was a crazy finale for others, including 54-hole leader Bubba Watson. Starting the day with a one-stroke lead, Watson birdied No. 2, but it was all downhill from there until he chipped in for eagle on 18 and a final-round 74.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today,” said Watson, who shared 16th place. “I birdied the second hole but I just didn’t have anything after that.”
Finishing his first week with a belly putter after barely making the cut, Phil Mickelson closed in 10th place. Lefty said he would stick with the tall putter.
“Throughout the whole week from six feet on in, I felt very good with it,” said Mickelson. “I think I’m going to practice with it a little bit more from the 10- to 25-foot area where I need to make some of those….and see if I can get a better feel, a better touch with it.”
Nick Watney understandably passed on post-tourney comments after posting an 80 that included an 11 at the par-5 second. The cousin of everybody’s favorite Red Sox reporter, Heidi Watney, chipped his third shot from over the green into the hazard. His fourth shot hit a rock and remained in the hazard, after which he angrily smashed the ground with his club.
Watney took a penalty shot drop in the fairway, found the green, and three-putted. Officials later penalized him two shots for smacking his club inside the hazard while his ball was still in it.
Ernie Els, who almost missed the playoffs, shot a final-round 70 and tied for 16th. He was also 68th among the 70 players who advanced to the next stage of the playoffs.
The third playoff, the BMW Championship, will be in two weeks at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club outside Chicago.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
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