Scott Stallings held his nerve to claim his maiden PGA Tour title in a play-off at the Greenbrier Classic.
American rookie birdies first extra hole to secure maiden win
Scott Stallings held his nerve to claim his maiden PGA Tour title after beating Bob Estes and Bill Haas in a play-off at the Greenbrier Classic.
Estes and Haas both missed birdie putts on the first play-off hole, the 168-yard 18th, before tour rookie Stallings curled in a seven-footer to pick up the $1.08m winner's cheque and a spot at the Bridgestone Invitational.
The 26-year-old had sunk a five-foot birdie putt at the same hole moments earlier to join Haas and Estes at 10-under for the tournament and earn a place in the play-off.
That completed a 69 for Stallings after a roller-coaster final round that saw him post four bogeys on the front nine, birdie four of the first five holes after the turn and sandwich a bogey at the par-five 17th between birdies at the 16th and short 18th.
"It's a dream come true," he said. "I felt really good going into 17. I hit a bad shot and got a bad break, hit the tree and went into the water. Then to birdie 18 like I did was incredible."
Estes also carded six birdies in a flawless final-round 64 to be the first to post 10-under while Haas made the play-off with a three-under 67, mixing four birdies with a dropped shot at the 15th.
What might have been
Estes and Haas weren't the only ones left to reflect on what might have been.
Brendon de Jonge missed a five-foot putt on 18 that would have have seen him make the play-off while Jimmy Walker, also at nine-under playing the last, failed to convert his birdie try from 11 feet.
Gary Woodland could also have joined the play-off trio on 10-under with a birdie at 18 but his tee-shot failed to clear the ridge in the middle of the green and instead backed up away from the flag from where he two-putted for par.
Argentine Andres Romero - who missed out by a shot in Canada last week - suffered the same fate after failing to birdie 17 and 18 to stay stuck on nine-under.
That quartet shared fourth place with Cameron Tringale while overnight leader Anthony Kim slipped back to tied 14th after following up his sparkling Saturday 62 with a four-over 74.
Carl Pettersson and Brian Davis were the only Europeans in the top 20. Both finished tied 18th, five shots back.
