Davis comes out on top in epic play-off
DETROIT: Australia’s Cam Davis edged Troy Merritt with a par at the fifth playoff hole Sunday to win his first PGA Tour title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Davis had eagled the par-five 17th and birdied 18 in regulation to thrust himself into a play-off with Merritt and Joaquin Niemann, all three tied after 72 holes on 18-under-par 270.
It was a heartbreaking finish for Chile’s Niemann, whose first bogey of the week came at the first play-off hole, his second shot at the par-four 18th threatening the flagstick but taking a hard bounce to settle in deep rough behind the green.
Davis had a chance to clinch it but couldn’t make a six-foot birdie putt, settling for a par that matched Merritt’s.
Both would par the next three to bring the play-off back for a second time to the par-three 15th.
Davis couldn’t get his 12-foot birdie putt to drop, but he emerged with the victory after Merritt missed the green and chipped on from deep rough only to miss his attempt at a par-saving putt.
“It’s been pretty hectic ever since the 17th hole for me,” said Davis, who carded a five-under-par final round of 67 to be the first in the clubhouse on 18-under.
“I just tried to put as much of it out of my mind as I possibly could and just hit every shot for what it was worth.
“As simple as it is to say, it’s hard to do when the pressure is on. I didn’t make any putts but I kept on putting it in play so it worked out all right.”
Merritt said Davis “did what he had to do.” “He put it on the green every hole, had a chance to win five times, hit great putts and he just played fantastic,” Merritt said. “So my hat’s off to him.”