After leading early, struggling, and regaining the lead, Peter Lonard limped home to his first PGA Tour victory, carding a +4 round of 75 on Hilton Head’s famed course at the MCI Heritage Classic. Lonard’s partner in the final pairing, Irishman Darren Clarke, didn’t fare much better and was wheeled on a gurney through two bogeys and two double bogeys in the last six holes to shoot a dismal 76.
Darren Clarke began the day at -10, trailing Lonard by one. After three straight birdies and a Lonard error or two, the lead flipped and the margin grew to four by the fifth hole: Clarke -13, Lonard -9. Sadly, for both players it was downhill from there.
Lonard and Clarke were actually tied at -7 playing the famed 18th, but Clarke pulled his approach into the muck, mire, and weeds near the green and never found his ball. Clarke, who held a six-shot 36-hole lead, is the first player since Nick Price in the 1984 NEC to lose a six-shot (or greater) halfway advantage. Clarke’s 76 included four bogeys and three double bogeys.
Tied with Clarke were five-time victor Davis Love III, who fired an even-par round of 71, and the surging Jim Furyk, who shot a respectable 69. Neither could get going enough to make up two more shots on the leaders. When Clarke was at -13, however, it may have looked rather hopeless, but with each hole the leaders seemed to be inching backwards. Billy Andrade, who’s having a pretty good year thus far, also finished tied for second at -5.
The win, Lonard’s first on the PGA Tour, is also the first time he’s seriously contended since the Buick Invitational. Of the victory, Lonard said “It’s obviously a great honor. It’s something I’ll never forget.” Lonard mixed his bad rounds – a 74 and a 75 – in with his first-round 62 and third-round 64. His 75 is the highest final round by an MCI Heritage winner, besting Arnold Palmer’s 74 in 1969 at the inaugural event.
After jokingly asking for a beer, Clarke said of his “36-handicap play,” that “things happen out here that you don’t think are going to happen. I didn’t think I was going to shoot whatever I shot today.” Clarkes’ opening 65s were followed by a 73 and his Sunday 76.
In other news, David Frost (yes, he’s still playing golf, apparently) set a new PGA Tour record for fewest putts in four rounds. Frosty needed only 92 putts (23/round average), besting Kenny Perry’s 16-year-old mark by one, a mark set at the same golf course. Frost also holds the scoring record at the Harbour Town Golf Links with a tidy 61.
Pos Player Today Tot R1 R2 R3 R4 Tot 1 Peter Lonard +4 -7 62 74 66 75 277 T2 Jim Furyk -2 -5 71 68 71 69 279 T2 Billy Andrade -3 -5 72 69 70 68 279 T2 Davis Love III E -5 69 70 69 71 279 T2 Darren Clarke +5 -5 65 65 73 76 279 T6 Thomas Levet -2 -4 64 74 73 69 280 T6 Stephen Ames E -4 71 69 69 71 280 T6 Rod Pampling +2 -4 70 69 68 73 280 9 Nick O'Hern -2 -3 68 71 73 69 281 T10 Scott Verplank -2 -2 73 70 70 69 282 T10 Michael Allen -1 -2 71 70 71 70 282 T10 Matt Kuchar E -2 72 68 71 71 282 T13 Pat Perez -1 -1 72 70 71 70 283
Photo Credit: © Streeter Lecka/Getty Images.
What a dissapointing finish. While I am happy for Lonard and his win, it would have been nice to see them go low and battle it out insted of going high in the last round for win. That was ugly.