A brutal twist on the 72nd hole has seen Australia’s Cameron Davis win a thrilling Rocket Mortgage Classic following a nervy five-way shootout on the final day.
The Sydneysider looked certain to be heading to a playoff against Akshay Bhatia on Monday morning with the pair locked at 18-under at the Detroit Golf Club.
Davis won in regulation, however, after Bhatia crumbled on the final green with a three-putt from no where.
Watch every round of the PGA Tour LIVE & Exclusive on Fox Sports, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Bhatia safely made the green in regulation but left his first putt four feet short of the hole.
The American, who didn’t have a single three-putt for the entire tournament, lipped out his short, second putt to make bogey and lose to Davis.
The bogey was only Bhatia’s second dropped shot for the entire week.
It assured Davis’ 18-under was enough to take home the $2.5m top prize, three years after he won the same event, which was his sole win on the PGA Tour.
And it triggered emotional scenes from Davis who choked back tears in his post-round interview.
“This is crazy,” he said.
“I wouldn’t wish what happened to Akshay on anyone. But I’ve done a lot of grinding to get myself out of a hole and to all of a sudden do that, it’s pretty good.”
Davis had been suffering a poor stretch of form since his T12 at the Masters in April.
The 29-year-old’s best finish in his seven events since was a T38 at the Wells Fargo Championship, while he missed the cut at both the PGA Championship and US Open.
His win is the first time he’s even finished inside the top-10 of a PGA Tour event since the Shriners Children’s Open in October.
Speaking of his turnaround, Davis said: “I had a lot of support to get me out of the doldrums there.
“I saw a little bit of a spark last week but nothing to show this coming.
“I started working with a hypno-therapist a couple of weeks ago just to take another angle in trying to get myself sorted out. From where I was a couple weeks ago until today, just a completely different person.”
In defeat, Bhatia was almost lost for words.
“It sucks, no other way to put it. I mean, just sucks,” Bhatia said.
“Just a little bit of nerves, honestly. I’m human.”
Davis rolls into water off the green! | 00:52
Meanwhile, Bhatia’s stumble also meant Australia’s Min Woo Lee shared a tie for second, along with Davis Thompson and Aaron Rai.
Each player pockets A$923,000.
Lee, however, will also be wondering what might’ve been after a cruel blunder of his own on the final hole.
After a lacklustre even-par front nine, Lee made birdies at No.10, 14, 15 and 17 — an explosive run that included his second chip-in birdie of the day.
Poised to take the solo clubhouse lead at 18-under, Lee overshot the final green, before an awkward, downhill third shot ran past the hole and off the green.
The rising star only narrowly missed another chip for par, forcing him to settle for a bogey, and tournament score of 17-under, one behind Davis.
Davis’ own final round was a two-under part 70, which came after a birdie putt from just outside four feet at the par-5 17th.
American Cameron Young, a seven-time PGA runner-up seeking his first title, was one off the pace before bogeys at 16 and 18 ended his bid.
Rai, chasing his first PGA title, fired a 72 but couldn’t close the gap down the final holes.
Davis opened with a three-putt bogey, but answered with a 20-foot birdie putt at the third, a 21-footer to birdie the par-3 fifth and a tap-in birdie at the par-5 seventh after finding a bunker to share the lead at 18-under at the turn.
Davis found a hazard at the par-5 14th and made bogey to leave Bhatia alone at the top until his birdie at 17.
Lee made a tap-in birdie at the par-5 14th then sank a 20-foot chip-in at the par-3 15th and chipped to inside four feet to set up a birdie at the par-5 17th to grab a share of the lead.
But Lee went over the green into deep rough at 18, pitched into rough on the opposite side of the green and even with a pitch inches from the hole took a closing bogey to fall one stroke short.
— With AFP
Source Agencies
