AT and T Championship ends with a play-off in Spittle’s hands
“I just can't explain the satisfaction level I have right now,” said Rod Spittle after claiming his dominance.
Rod Spittle beat Jeff Sluman after a achieving a par at a sudden-death playoff on Sunday. The Canadian captured his first Champions Tour title after the first hole against Sluman at the AT&T Championship.
His victory had been only a putt of 4 feet at the 18th holes of the Oak Hills Country Club. Spittle achieved his much anticipated fame after playing beautiful, bright and sunny conditions at the A.W. Tillinghast-designed course.
Before the AT&T event, the 55-year-old was only a non-exempt, unknown player but after Sunday, he is more of a golfer known to hammer Jeff Sluman, who is a 9-tour winner.
At the playoff, Spittle made way for Sluman’s shot by moving his marker with the width of his putter. The game, however, reached its best moment when Spittle turn to play came and the 55-year-old refused to shift his marker back to its original position.
Although he would have played from that spot, the Canadian, however, placed the marker back only to avoid the 2-shot penalty. According to the 6 feet 5 inches golfer, if it didn’t look as if the posse was coming behind him, he had full plans on hitting the
ball.
The plan, hence the neglect, faced a change in path only due to insistent warnings by Donna Caponi, the Golf Channel analyst along with several other people like, Jim Witherspoon who is the Champions Tour head rules official, the fan masses all gathered
at the gallery and his fellow competitor, Sluman. Had these not warned Spittle, the 55-year-old might have faced a 2-shot fine and hence lost his much awaited win.
“I was sort of only gazing at the white ball,” Spittle said.
The 53-year-old Sluman said that it is really hard to describe what it’s like to be in that position. He said that sometimes a person can go brain dead just like that which is awful. However, this isn’t exactly what happened at the event as one teary eyed
Spittle was seen standing in front of thundering claps and shouts of congratulations who held a trophy in his hands and claimed $ 262,500 as prize money after its win.
Spittle is the ex-partner of John Cook in Ohio State who is known to hold two victories of the tournament. The Canadian golfer won the tournament after carding a 31 with a 5 under at his back nine.
Regarding birdies, pars and bogeys, Spittle collected birdies at hole numbers 15 and 17. The scorecard also suggests the 55-year-old claiming a flaming par at the 18th hole. The putt thus successfully played was at the par-3 in regulation and
the playoff.
The leader board placed Spittle achieving a tie with Sluman at the third round of the event. He carded a 67 with a 4 under to achieve a total of 201 with a 12 under.
From Sluman’s side, the golfer faltered at the extra hole match played between him and Spittle and carded a bogey. The ball favoured the front greenside bunker and awarded Sluman a 67 in the final round and thus prize money of $ 154,000.
The AT&T Championship held at the A.W. Tillinghast-designed field consisted of a total of 6,735-yard layout. The match played at this venue was basically an end to a long 9-year hosting of the Champions Tour event. The AT&T Championship will next shift to
the AT&T Canyons at TPC San Antonio in the year 2011.
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