Golf Update; Mark O’Meara wins the Sunday playoff at TPC Potomac
Mark O’Meara claimed the title of Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship in Potomac on Sunday after defeating Michael Allen in a one-hole playoff.
O’Meara entered the crucial Sunday with a score of five-under par with the 51-year-old Michael Allen trailing behind with a 72. O’Meara’s victory was predicted before hand with consistency in the scores. He drafted a score of
68-68-69 in the first three rounds. Same sentiments were drawn for Allen, who made the three day aggregate with a 68-67-72. Both the players gave an edge to each other hole by hole and both slipped in the third round owing to the amid weather conditions.
It was the rain that made the rough longer and the scoring more laborious.
However, on Sunday, the weather conditions were comparatively better and taking an advantage of the course the runner up smashed a 66 to give Mark O’Meara run for his money. To respond to the threat, the 56-year-old smashed four
birdies but missed two shots and pushed the player with a 66 (Michael Allen) into a playoff. According to the predefined rules, there was only one playoff hole: 18th hole of par-4.
Allen and O’Meara fell into the contention of the playoff but out of the duo, the graduate of Long Beach State College (O’ Meara) managed to par the hole and won the winner prize of $405,000. According to the experts, the playoff
hole was not much of a drama and thrill; Allen failed to conquer the hole and bogeyed it, whereas, his counterpart only parred it to declare the victory.
The winner of the tournament carrying a purse of $2.7 million gave the tribute of his victory to his wife Meredith. He said, he needed a break and some quality time with her to clear his mind from all the stress and fatigue; therefore,
he took a withdrawal from SAS Championship and took his wife for fishing.
O’Meara said, “I feel very fortunate because a week-and-a-half ago I was as far as you could get from winning a championship.” He said this while talking to the press in a conference after the tournament wrapped up.
Michael Allen shot the lowest score of the round; he shot a 66 with the help of five birdies and one bogey. The graduate of Nevada is surely a lucky chap; it was only yesterday, when he turned 50 and unlike many other players he
took the fastest lane to the Champions Tour. Allen contested in Viking Classic, which was his 14th tournament on the PGA Tour and finished it in second place, whereas, this was his 13th senior appearance which he wrapped up with utmost grace and charisma.
Two runner-up finishes have been money spinning for the newly turned fifty plus. He earned $388,800 at the Viking Classic and $237,600 at the Senior Players which is a good aggregate of $626,400.
Commenting on his victories, Allen said that he was having fun on his new tour and he enjoyed the sudden revelations of two wins in a row.
According to the experts, it won’t be long when Allen will be seen only on the PGA Tour. He is currently standing on the 161st spot of the money list and 30th on the Champion tour. Sunday’s playoff loss has shifted him
to the 12th in 2010 senior money list.
Talking to the press, Allen said, "I'm certainly making my way to the Champions Tour more and more, but I've been playing [on the PGA Tour] for 15 years or so. I know the tournaments I really enjoy out there. So I really like going
and playing in those. As I played more and more here, I'll find ones I enjoy more. Eventually I'll be playing full time here. But for my last year or two, it would be great to have the best of both worlds."
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