Planet Golf — 10 July 2016 by GW staff and news services
Goydos captures Champions title

ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Paul Goydos likes to say his golf game is two good rounds, then a mediocre one.

“That’s kind of all tournaments, not just here,” he said before playing in the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open.

Last year, he did just that at En-Joie Golf Club, fading late while challenging for the lead and losing to Jeff Maggert by two shots.

On Sunday, Goydos put that notion and that disappointment behind him, shooting a bogey-free 69 to beat Wes Short Jr. (69) by two shots on a tricky day at En-Joie buffeted by gusting winds. Goydos finished at 14-under 202 for his third victory on PGA Tour Champions.

Qualifier Neal Lancaster (70) was third at 11 under, while John Riegger (72) finished tied for fourth at 10 under with Joe Durant (68).

Glen Day (69) and Kevin Sutherland (69) were another shot back in a tie for sixth.

John Daly (73) was three shots behind to start and couldn’t muster anything. He made bogey at the par-5 fifth hole and another at No. 9 to make the turn at 7 under, where he finished.

First-round leader Scott Dunlap began the overcast day one shot off the lead and took himself out of contention with a disastrous second hole. Dunlap twice plunked shots into the greenside water hazard at the par 4, a 379-yard dogleg left, and carded a quintuple-bogey 9. He finished with a 75 to tie Daly.

Goydos began play tied for the lead with Riegger and was the steadiest of the leaders, carding eight pars and making birdie at the par-4 sixth hole as the others faltered. A birdie at No. 10 dropped him to 13 under, three shots ahead of Riegger, Short and Lancaster.

Still within striking distance at No. 16, Riegger drove the trees right at the short par 4 but rallied for birdie. Unfazed, Goydos, who played it safe on the hole by laying up short of the elevated green that’s guarded by a handful of bunkers, matched Riegger’s birdie to move to 14 under and maintain his two-shot edge.

Both drove into the bunker on the right of the green at No. 17 and only Goydos escaped. After Riegger hit out past the pin and two-putted for bogey, Goydos blasted to 4 feet and saved par. Riegger also made bogey at 18 to slip back further.

Lancaster, in only his second tournament of the year, watched his chances fade when his tap-in putt for birdie at No. 16 lipped out while trailing by two shots.

“I guess just so close you kind of took it for granted,” Lancaster said. “I just think it’s nerves. I feel like I should have won the tournament.”

Related Articles

Share

About Author

(0) Readers Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.