Round 4: TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola
September 25 2011
6:50 pm
Haas wins FedExCup, TOUR Champ.
ATLANTA – Bill Haas failed to win the first two playoffs he appeared in during the 2011 PGA TOUR season. But he won in his third attempt on Sunday – and the payoff was huge.
Haas beat Hunter Mahan with a par on the third extra hole to claim both the FedExCup and the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. With the $10 million bonus that comes with the FedExCup, Sunday’s win was worth $11.44 million.
“This was very unexpected, I guess,” said Haas, who said he wasn’t 100 percent sure he had won the FedExCup until after the playoff when he saw the trophy waiting for him.
Haas also hopes the win will be enough to convince U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Fred Couples to make him a Captain’s Pick. Couples will announce his last Captain’s Pick on Tuesday.
“I’m not going to say it gets me to Australia,” Haas said. “It definitely puts me in the talk up there with some of the guys that everybody has been talking about.”
Haas came into this week with a longshot chance to win the FedExCup. He was ranked 25th in points and needed a handful of scenarios to play out in his favor.
Mahan was in a similar spot, having come into the week ranked 21st in points. Both players entered East Lake looking for their first win of the season.
With Webb Simpson, the FedExCup points leader, finishing in 22nd and Luke Donald, who ranked No. 4 in points, finishing in a tie for third – and the other three players in the top five not getting into contention – the scenarios worked out in their favor.
Haas shot a 2-under 68 to finish at 8 under in regulation. When Mahan parred the 18th hole to also finish at 8 under, the two had their playoff to decide both the tournament champion and the FedExCup champion.
Haas’ most important shot in the playoff came after his approach at the par-4 17th dribbled into the water to the right of the green. Most of the ball was above the water line – “an unbelievably fortunate break” Haas said later – and he hit a tremendous shot to within 3 feet to save his par and force another hole.
“I thought I had one on the second playoff hole and then he hits it out of the water to two feet,” Mahan said. “It seemed like he was destined to win this week.”
Sunday’s win was the third for Haas in his TOUR career. Last year, he won the Bob Hope Classic and the Viking Classic.
This year, he nearly defended his title at the Bob Hope Classic but lost in a three-man playoff when he was eliminated on the first hole. He was also involved in a three-man playoff at The Greenbrier Classic but lost in the first extra hole.
Haas seemed to have control of the tournament in regulation when he birdied the par-4 15th to move to 10 under. At one time, he held a three-shot lead.
But he bogeyed two of his last three holes to open the door for others to take their shots.
Jason Day was at 8 under through 16 holes but he bogeyed the final two holes to eventually fall into a tie for sixth.
“Obviously I’m a little disappointed that I bogeyed the last two holes,” Day said, “but I was trying to win out there.”
K.J. Choi came to the 18th hole needing a birdie to get to 8 under but could not find the green with his tee shot. Aaron Baddeley also came to the 18th needing a birdie but couldn’t roll in his birdie putt from 34 feet.
Luke Donald made birdie at the 18th to move to 7 under. Had he been able to finish in solo third instead of a three-way tie for third, he would’ve won the FedExCup.
“I guess this is what the FedExCup is all about,” Donald said. “It’s meant to be exciting.”
Had Baddeley been able to win the tournament, Simpson – despite his low finish — would have won the FedExCup. Instead, he finished second, a mere 15 points behind Haas.
“A little disappointed I didn’t play any better, but I’m pretty tired right now and it’s kind of shown in my golf game this week,” Simpson said.
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Suck it Keegan
Congratulations from Kentucky, Bill!
Its great,and wonderful for his Dad, who is a
great Champion Player.
I am happy for Bill and his family. I met Jay Haas at a Masters Tournament many years ago, and always thought that he was a class act, as is his som Bill and the rest of the Haas clan.
What a win for Bill Haas, his family and his fans. Who would have ever dreamed it? I did. It was only a dream until Bill made it a reality with his perseverence and tenasity today. Thank you Bill for making my dream come true. Congratulations!!!
Well done to bill for winning the tour champs with great play but to end up winning the fed ex cup as well shows what a stupid competition and format it is.
Can you believe that, absolutely exciting. Poor Webb Simpson, if he had just parred the last round, he would have finished high enough to get the 15+ points to win the Cup.
However, my congratulations to Haas. Always good to see a son emulate and better his father. Jay must be a proud PAPA.
Congratulations to Bill Haas on a gutsy display of nerve and courage and for showing us amateurs that the pros know how play amazing shots from the places we regulary find ourselves in – four incredible tournaments- pity the 10 million isn’t better shared amongst the top 3 Fedex points winners
too big a payday for only a good tourny by any golfer
It’s obvious the Fed Ex Cup system remains flawed. Haas deserves the Tour Championship but Luke Donald finished 3rd, 4th and 3rd in the last three playoffs and was at the top of the list coming into the playoffs and loses to a guy ranked as low as he was coming into this week. That’s wrong
too most of the people who post are idiots
What a farce, anyone who wins the tour championship wins the Fedex Cup. No account is taken about what a player does all year, you just have to get into the last 30 and win the last tournament.
I bet if this format happened in football there would be an outcry.
Congratulations to Bill and his family, I know his Dad is proud of him and he is proud of his Dad.
Hey, it’s the same as college basketball or the NFL playoffs, WIN OR GO HOME. Why should golf be any different. If you play the Skins game the guy with the highest score may win all the money on any given day.
graham- I THINK YOU MISSED SOMETHING,if donald came second he would have won.if simpson finished higher he could have won ect ect .and if your auntie had b –s ,she couldn’t win.cheers.
Hao, good to see you posting your usual insightful thoughts. Twat.
September 20th, 2011 6:13 pm
WOODLAND
MICKELSON
DONALD
DAY
the four i don’t like are ;stricker kutcher scott simpson.
One word……OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I won’t say Hass who again!
I think it just shows that there are alot of choakers on the pga tour now–start showing old matches with nicholas-palmer-player-teavino