Robert Streb almost won at Greenbrier with sand wedge as his putter
Robert Streb almost won The Greenbrier Classic on Sunday playing the back nine at the Old White TPC with 13 clubs in the bag. You’re allowed 14.
Streb broke his putter after the ninth hole in the final round, with the head of his Scotty Cameron flat stick coming off as he tossed it toward his caddie. Under the Rules of Golf, a player isn’t allowed to replace a damaged club if that damage doesn’t happen in the normal course of play, even if it happens innocently, as it did to Streb. So that meant Streb, who was 9 under par for the tournament at that point, needed to find a new putter for the back nine. He chose his sand wedge.
What a great choice.
Streb made five birdies in the final nine holes, including three of his first four, to get into a four-man playoff at 13-under-par 267. The first two birdies were a combined 4 feet of putts, but the birdie at 13 was nearly 27 feet and crucial birdies at 16 and 18 were no gimmes either.
For the playoff, Streb was allowed to put another putter he had in his locker into the bag. However, it didn’t help. Streb missed the green long and left on the first playoff hole, the par-3 18th, and made a bogey that eliminated him.
While Streb didn’t get the win, he sure put on a show. Better still, he can get his regular putter fixed and have it back in the bag for his next start.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
