Round 4: The McGladrey Classic
October 16 2011
9:10 pm
Simpson takes over money list lead
By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Webb Simpson was disappointed Sunday night after the McGladrey Classic. A missed par putt from inside 4 feet cost him the victory, but he made great strides toward his other goal for the week.
Simpson came to Sea Island less than $70,000 behind Luke Donald for the lead on the PGA TOUR money list. He leaves better than $360,000 ahead, knowing Donald can only catch him with a tie for second or better at next week’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.
“I think coming in, finishing second is going to make it a lot harder for Luke,” Simpson said. “But I’m sure he’s going to play well. He’s played well most every week this year. I still wouldn’t be surprised if I have a little work to do next week.”
Both players will tee it up next week at Disney World with Donald attempting to regain his spot atop the TOUR money list to go with his position atop the European Tour’s money list.
“He’s had a week off, so I’m sure he’s rested and ready,” Simpson said. “It would be nice to run away with it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s going to be pretty close. Winning would take care of a lot, I think.”
Victory was well within Simpson’s sights Sunday. He entered the day at No. 3 on the leaderboard but after No. 2 Billy Horschel fell off the pace, he quickly closed on leader Michael Thompson.
When Thompson bogeyed the par-3 12th, Simpson was tied for the lead. Unfortunately, Simpson parred his last eight holes Sunday before a three-putt bogey, the first square on his Sunday scorecard, ended his run on the second hole of a playoff with Ben Crane.
“I’ve played golf long enough to know that I hit a pretty good putt there,” Simpson said. “As soon as I hit it, I looked up expecting it to be going in, and saw it catching the right lip. You know, it was unfortunate to end that way. You don’t want to end on a three-putt but that’s just the way it happened and Ben deserved it.”
If Simpson’s putting catches up with his ball striking (he hit 33 of 36 greens and 25 of 28 fairways over his final 36 holes but needed 65 putts), he can make Donald’s quest to catch him virtually impossible next week. He and caddie Paul Tesori will take a look at things before next week’s event.
“Paul has seen me putt great, and he knows — he’s got an eye for my setup when I was putting great and kind of the way I look over the putter,” Simpson said. “So we’ll just try to talk about that, I think, the next couple days and see if we can iron it out for the week.”
8:28 pm
Trahan moves inside top 125
By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — D.J. Trahan made a very valuable move up the leaderboard Sunday at the McGladrey Classic.
His 3-under 67 allowed him to move into a tie for 11th and earn enough money to move to No. 123 on the money list. This move puts Trahan in an advantageous position as he travels to Disney for the Fall Series-ending Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.
Also moving inside the top 125, jumping to No. 114, was Louis Oosthuizen. The 2010 British Open champion is already fully exempt on TOUR in 2011, though, regardless of his finish on the money list.
Another important move, though not one across the 125 threshold, was that of 2010 Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open champion David Mathis. The two-time Nationwide Tour graduate, who won last October to secure his 2011 TOUR card, appears all but assured of a second consecutive season on TOUR with his tie for 15th allowing him to jump to from 123rd to 115th on the money list.
Falling outside the top 125 were Bill Lunde, whose 2010 victory at Turning Stone grants him full status for next season, and Matt Jones. Jones missed the cut at Sea Island, falling from 125th to 129th and putting himself in a tough spot. He needs to move back into the top 125 next week at Disney, or lose his fully exempt status for 2012.
Click here to see the complete updated money list standings.
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6:18 pm
Thompson upbeat after tough finish
By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Michael Thompson won’t be leaving Sea Island with his first career victory, but he won’t be going home empty handed either.
The 54-hole leader suffered a bogey on the 72nd hole which left him one shot out of the Ben Crane-Webb Simpson playoff Sunday at Sea Island. His third-place earnings, however, will ensure the rookie and 2010 q-school graduate of a spot on the PGA TOUR next season.
“In the big picture, it’s not a bad thing,” Thompson said. “Hey, I get to play next year and that’s a huge accomplishment. Check that off the list, and you never know. I’m playing good and next week, I might have a chance again.”
Thompson led by as many as three shots during Sunday’s final round, but a 2-over 37 on the back nine, combined with Ben Crane’s back-nine 30, left the rookie on the outside of the playoff.
He was tied with Crane and Simpson, who had both completed their rounds at 15 under, when he stepped onto the 18th tee. Thompson hit a 264-yard drive into a water hazard right of the right fairway bunker, a shot e said was simply a “mental error.” Thompson took his drop and hit a 222-yard approach within 27 feet, still with a chance to get into the playoff.
The par putt broke left the cup and Thompson knew he’d missed his chance.
“I had a really good chance to win, but that’s all part of the experience,” Thompson said. “I’m right in the same shoes that Webb Simpson was when he first came out on TOUR and look where he is now. You’ve got to go through the disappointing times in order to get to the happy times and success.”
Thompson, the 2010 Hooters Tour Player of the Year and former SEC Champion, started the week at No. 116 on the money list and improves to 94th, plenty secure in his TOUR status for 2012.
5:45 pm
Congratulate Crane on his victory
With a par on the second playoff hole, Ben Crane defeated Webb Simpson to win the McGladrey Classic. Leave a comment below to sent your note of congratulations to Crane after he picked up the fourth victory of his PGA TOUR career.
5:16 pm
Play-by-play: Crane defeats Simpson
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Ben Crane and Webb Simpson are headed back to the 18th tee for a playoff at the McGladrey Classic.
The playoff will begin on hole No. 18 and, if necessary, move back to 17, then 18 again if necessary. Keep checking below for play-by-play updates as the playoff develops. Webb Simpson will tee off first.
Playoff Hole #2: 186-yard par-3 17th
5:42 p.m. ET: Simpson’s putt lips out and Ben Crane claims the victory at the McGladrey Classic.
5:40 p.m. ET: Crane calmly rolls in his 5-footer. Simpson needs this 3-and-a-half foot putt to extend the playoff.
5:38 p.m. ET: Simpson’s birdie putt rolls by the cup, just missing to the left. He’s got a 3-foot, 5-inch par putt. Crane’s birdie run slides 5 feet past the cup. A couple knee-knockers ahead.
5:34 p.m. ET: Simpson’s tee shot settles 35 feet short, below the hole. Crane hits his shot 22 feet beyond the pin.
5:31 p.m. ET: Simpson has four pars on this hole this week. Crane has gone par-par-par-birdie with the birdie coming today.
Playoff Hole #1: 474-yard par-4 18th
5:29 p.m. ET: Crane rolls his putt just off the left edge, a foot past the cup. Both players tap in and we go to the par-3 17th to continue this playoff.
5:27 p.m. ET: Simpson drops his bunker shot inside 2 feet. Crane still has a 6 footer for the win.
5:24 p.m. ET: Simpson hits a 5-iron into the fairway bunker, short and right of the green. He’s 37 yards from the pin. Crane counters with a shot right on line that settles 6 feet from the flag.
5:18 p.m. ET: Simpson tees off first, hitting a 272-yard tee shot into the first cut, right of the fairway. He’s 207 yards from the pin. Crane finds the left-center of the fairway with a 291-yard tee shot and is 183 yards out.
5:14 pm
Crane, Simpson headed to a playoff
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — We’re headed to a playoff on St. Simons Island.
Ben Crane and Webb Simpson head to the 18th tee at Sea Island’s Seaside Course to decide a winner in the second annual McGladrey Classic.
Michael Thompson had an opportunity to make it a three-man playoff, but his 27-foot par putt on the 72nd hole missed low and left.
Crane entered the final round five shots off the pace and took pars on his first seven holes Sunday. He birdied eight of his final 11 holes and was the first player to reach the clubhouse at 15 under.
Simpson came into Sunday two back and his 4-under 66 was enough to tie Crane.
Stay with the TOUR Report for play-by-play updates from the course as things develop.
5:04 pm
Update: Simpson also in at 15 under
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Ben Crane has company in the clubhouse at 15 under. With seven pars to close out his round, Webb Simpson joined crane at that number through 72 holes.
Michael Thompson, who is on No. 18 at 15 under, needs to hole a 27-foot par putt to join them in a playoff for the McGladrey Classic title.
4:48 pm
Update: Three-man playoff still possible
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Ben Crane’s clubhouse lead at 15 under remains the number to beat at Sea Island.
Webb Simpson has parred six straight and is also at 15 under on the 18th hole. Michael Thompson has four pars in a row and remains at 15 under through 16.
Louis Oosthuizen, who could have joined the crowd at 15 under with a birdie on No. 18, settled for a bogey and a 13 under total after 72 holes.
4:35 pm
Watch: Crane birdies No. 17
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Ben Crane is the clubhouse leader at Sea Island after an 7-under 63 that featured eight birdies in a 10-hole stretch capped by this putt below on No. 17.
His 15 under mark matches Webb Simpson and Michael Thompson, who each have three holes to play.
Crane ties for the lead
Ben Crane hits his tee shot to 19 feet on the 186 yard par-3 17th hole and sinks the putt for birdie.
4:22 pm
Cauley’s finish should net him status
By Chris Dunham, PGATOUR.COM
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Mission accomplished
Bud Cauley will be a PGA TOUR member in 2012.
The 21-year old’s quest to earn his PGA TOUR began at the U.S. Open. Cauley turned pro following his junior year at Alabama and has made seven cuts in eight starts with a pair of top-10 finishes.
His earnings after this week should easily exceed whatever No. 125 on the TOUR’s final money list accumulates by year’s end allowing Cauley to play as a TOUR member next year out of the “Players who finished in the top 125 on the PGA TOUR Money List as non-members” category.
Cauley is just the sixth player in the history of the PGA TOUR to earn status in this manner straight out of college.
“It was a lot of fun,” Cauley said of his run to the PGA TOUR. “It was a new experience for me. I enjoyed every week except I missed the cut in Reno. That wasn’t nearly as fun as all the others. But I’ve had a great time this summer and into the fall and just look forward to taking a couple weeks off after next week.”
Cauley’s 4-under 66 got him to 8 under for the week and will likely give him a top 20 finish and more than enough money to secure a spot on TOUR next year.
He was 4 under through 11 holes and had an eye on a top-10 finish (and a spot in next week’s event at Disney), but bogeys on 13 and 14 slowed him just enough to keep him from a third top-10 finish.
“I played well today,” Cauley said. “Obviously had a couple mistakes there on the back nine and made some bogeys, but this week is really just kind of the putter. I hit a lot of good putts today that rolled over the edge and kind of cost me a little bit. But I’m pleased with how I played.”
Next for Cauley is the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open presented by Planters, next week’s Nationwide Tour stop at the TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley course.
Cauley, who grew up in the Jacksonville area playing at Windsor Parke, less than five miles north of Sawgrass, is looking forward to playing hi first professional event in his hometown.
“I’m looking forward to next week,” Cauley said. “It’ll be fun to play in Jacksonville. I’ll have a lot of family and friends out, and I love playing the Valley Course there at TPC (Sawgrass), so it should be a great week.”
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