Heath Slocum takes thriller at McGladrey Classic
Heath Slocum took victory by a stroke at the McGladrey Classic yesterday after making a 60ft birdie putt on the 16th, just as it looked like the American was faltering.
That gave Slocum a two stroke lead, meaning he could afford to bogey the 18th at the Seaside course at Sea Island, Georgia. Slocum had started the day leading by a stroke, but an uneven round saw challengers continue to snap at his heels as the round progressed, with David Toms and Robert Allenby among the main pretenders.
In all, the 36-year-old shot five birdies and three bogeys on his final round to come home two-under-par 68, leaving him 14-under for the tournament. That saw Slocum finish a stroke ahead of compatriot Bill Haas, who finished on 13-under after a final round of four-under 66 that included an eagle on the 15th, Haas' approach shot landing within 10ft of the hole.
Allenby and Toms eventually finished tied for third place along with India's Arjun Atwal, all three on 12-under-par. Allenby hasn't won on the PGA Tour since 2001, and the Australian looked to be in an excellent position to put that unwanted record behind him here.
But at six-under and going into the final hole - a score that would have seen Allenby finish level with Slocum - the 39-year-old entered a hazard and so double-bogeyed the 18th. Atwal also bogeyed the last, while Toms made par on the 18th - after bogeying both the 16th and 17th.
Slocum's win was the fourth of his career on the PGA Tour, the first this year, and the journeyman golfer was understandably happy to claim a win. "Every win, regardless of the field... trust me, I went out there today wanting to win," he said. "Any tournament you enter, you want to win. And when you do, there's just no other feeling like it."
And on the putt on the 16th? "That's the tournament winner," he said. "You could three-putt just as easily, for sure more times than you're going to make it. When that went in, that was huge. I was glad to see that go in."
That win also moves Slocum to No. 29 on the PGA Tour money list; the top 30 players on the list will earn invitations to next year's Masters.
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