Tee shot in water cost Michael Allen a victory at the d**k's Sporting Goods Open
A miscalculated tee shot on the first extra hole in the playoffs cost Michael Allen a victory at the Champion Tour’s d**k's Sporting Goods Open, at the En-Joie Golf Club, on Sunday, August 19, 2012.
Allen started off his round sharing the seventh spot on the leaderboard. Meanwhile, when his rivals on top of the leaderboard faltered in the final round, he took advantage of that and made a strong charge on the leaderboard.
He recorded three birdies against a lone bogey on the front nine for a two-under par score. The back nine witnessed him play even better, as he posted a four-under par score, with the help of two birdies and a stunning eagle.
"The shot that kind of helped me the most was 12," Allen said. "I had a driver and it was a perfect hybrid from about 235. I hit it to about 10 feet and made that for eagle and kind of got me going in contention".
When he birdied the final hole, he was ready for the celebrations of his third victory of the season, as Willie Wood, who was trailing him with one stroke, needed a 35-foot birdie putt to level the score on the top.
However, Allen had to suffer a shock when Wood sank a beautiful birdie putt to force the game to enter into the playoffs.
Thereafter, Allen’s tee shot on the first extra hole found a water hazard on the 18th green, followed by another one that found a fairway bunker in the end.
It was the end of his chapter in the tournament, as Wood reached the green in two shots and two putted to take the title home.
"Actually, really hit a nice solid shot, but I hit it dead straight with a slight pull and hit it in the water and I was kind of done then," he said. “He hit a beautiful whatever shot, he hit right in the middle of the green where he should have, and two-putted.
I was trying to make my bunker shot but you don't make many of those over the years”.
In the meantime, the overnight leader and defending champion John Huston carded a five-over par 77 and tied for the 21st position.
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