Brian Stuard wins first PGA Tour title in shortened New Orleans playoff
Until this week, Brian Stuard had made a combined 219 starts on the Web.com Tour and PGA Tour. In his 220th start, Stuard finally broke through.
Stuard won the weather-shortened Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff, defeating Jamie Lovemark with a birdie in the second extra playing of the par-5 18th at TPC Louisiana after Byeong-hun An was eliminated on the first playoff hole.
All three players tied at 15-under 201 in the 54-hole event, shortened after several days of rain wiped out play, making it implausible to complete a 72-hole tournament. Playing in the next-to-last group, An first made birdie to post 15 under and eliminate University of Alabama product Bobby Wyatt, who sought an unlikely win after getting into the event on a sponsor’s exemption.
In the final group, Stuard, one of the shortest hitters in the field, managed to get up-and-down for a tying birdie. Meanwhile, Lovemark left a birdie putt to win just a few inches short, leading to the playoff.
They returned quickly to the 18th knowing that yet another cell of nasty storms that would have halted play were heading toward TPC Louisiana. Lovemark and Stuard made fairly routine pars, while An was unable to reach the green in regulation and didn’t get up-and-down to stay in the playoff in search of his first PGA Tour win.
Stuard and Lovemark went back to 18 tee, with Stuard driving his ball a little too far, leaving an awkward lie on the outside of a left side fairway bunker.
Lovemark hit a long drive that allowed him to aggressively go for the green at the 587-yard hole in two, but he pulled his approach well left and required an awkward drop near a cart path from an embedded lie. Meanwhile, Stuard’s third shot from well back in the fairway was almost perfect, landing inside 3 feet for a near certain birdie. Facing an up-and-down for birdie he needed to stay alive, Lovemark was unable to get the job done.
Stuard made his birdie for the win and the $1.26 million first-place check.
Wyatt finished alone in fourth at 14 under par, earning a spot into the Wells Fargo Championship as a result of his top-10 finish.
Chris Kirk, Jason Day and Jhonattan Vegas finished in a tie for fifth at 13 under par.
Stuard’s win marks the first time a PGA Tour event was decided in less than 72 holes since Dustin Johnson won the 2013 Tournament of Champions in a 54-hole finish caused by high winds.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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