Lee Westwood, looking his initial feat in the United States in twelve years, had The Players Championship rigourously snatched from underneath his nose at Sawgrass last night.
Westwood, who had proposed the last day heading by a singular shot in what is well known as the fifth vital in the calendar, carded a 74 and was in the future denied feat by Tim Clark, of South Africa, who constructed the golf of his hold up in the most appropriate turn of the day.
Two shots at the behind of with 3 to play, Westwood paid for a stand in spook at the penultimate hole and his two-over-par last turn of 74 meant he in the future accomplished the day in a share of fourth place on twelve underneath par, 4 shots at the behind of Clark.
But when Westwood reflected thereafter on the shot that had cost him dear, it was not the one from the 17th tee but the fairway of the par-five 16th, where his proceed with a five-iron found a fort guarding the immature and he unsuccessful to collect up a shot.
It was usually a balderdash shot a finish sclaff, he said. Its disappointing, but not something Im going to lift my hair out over. If you dont fool around well you dont merit to win. As the march firmed up I didnt have the carry out of the day you indispensable and when you get out of on all sides here it becomes really difficult.
After the anguish of finishing runner-up to Phil Mickelson at the Masters five weeks ago, Westwood was dynamic to have justification here and when he looked at the peculiarity of antithesis around him entering the last round, he contingency have fanciful his chances.
His was the big name on the leaderboard at the begin of the day and it would be satisfactory to contend that of all the players at the behind of him, he would not have approaching Clark, 3 strokes in arrears, to have a run at him.
With a unbending breeze and greens oven baked tough and fast it was a day for defensive rather than assertive golf and the scores tended to simulate the fact. Most of the scores, that is, solely for Clarks, who played probably perfect golf on a march that rewards shot-making and punishes anything wayward.
Clark did not dump a shot in his turn of 67, found eleven out of fourteen fairways, longed for usually 3 greens in law and had eight singular putts. On the initial dual days, there were 91 rounds in the 60s, yesterday there were two: Clarks and Davis Love IIIs 68. This was miraculous golf.
The South African leader of nothing of his prior 205 events on the US PGA Tour but with gain in additional of $14 million (about 9.48 million) had since no spirit of what was to come over his initial 6 holes. But after his initial birdie of the day at the 7th, he had a run of 4 on the run from the 9th and seized the initiative.
Clark took the lead for the initial time at the 12th and from afterwards on it was Westwood who had to do the chasing. And as he proposed to pull harder for the birdies, so his diversion became husky a five at the par-three 17th, where he found water, finale his chances.
As at Augusta, Westwood played a little high golf over the initial 3 days, but in the future lost to a player inspired. But with the big names out of the approach here Tiger Woods had already cold harmed by the time Westwood teed off and Phil Mickelson was regularly as well far behind to mountain a critical plea couple of would have put their income on Clark, a perennial, though well-rewarded, also-ran.
Westwood has suffered sufficient near-misses in the big tournaments to last a lifetime. At the US Open in 2008, he longed for a putt at the 72nd hole to get in to a play-off with Rocco Mediate and Woods. And at the Open at Turnberry, last year, he took 3 putts at the last when dual would additionally have put him in to a play-off.
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