Putting woes see Laird miss out in Phoenix as Matsuyama takes win
IT HAD been a red-hot putter that got Martin Laird into winning contention but it was an ice-cold flat stick that denied him victory in the Phoenix Open.
Laird went into the final round just a shot off the lead but the shortest stick in the Scot’s bag soon began his biggest concern.
The triple PGA Tour winner parred the opening two holes of the TPC Scottsdale course before three-putting the third hole from 27 feet for bogey. And, from there on, it was a case of being on the dance floor but never close enough to the band with Laird producing 14 straight pars until dropping a shot at the last for a two-over-par 73.
In fact, after posting just 24 putts in his second 66 that sent him soaring up the leaderboard, Laird accumulated 33 putts over his fourth round. It handed the Phoenix-based Scot a share of seventh place at 13-under par.
Laird had been looking to end a nearfour-year winless drought since denying Rory McIlroy down the stretch to win the 2013 Valero Texas Open.
Laird’s only comfort is that he has improved his world ranking, jumping from 143rd to 115th.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama made it five wins in the space of nine events in successfully defending his title, winning with a birdie at the fourth extra hole to beat American Webb Simpson.
Bizarrely, Matsuyama won the event a year ago in defeating Rickie Fowler also after four additional holes. Both Matsuyama and Simpson had ended regulation play tied at 17-under par.
Simpson, winner of the 2012 US Open, posted a sizzling last day 64, while Matsuyama continued to show why he’s the hottest golfer in the game, signing for 65 after his closing round of an eagle and five birdies.
Matsuyama had ended 2016 winning four of his closing five events, and the 25-year-old is the first player since Johnny Miller in 1974 and ’75 to win back-to-back Phoenix Open titles.
“I just had faith and believed that my chance would come again, and I just waited and waited, had patience,” said Matsuyama through an interpreter. ATHLETICS Russia’s ban from international athletics competition is set to extend beyond the World Championships in London in August, the International Association of Athletics Federations has announced.
The IAAF voted unanimously to extend the ban on the Russian Athletics Federation, which was originally excluded in 2015 following allegations of statesponsored doping.
Rune Andersen, the independent chairman of the IAAF Taskforce, indicated RUSAF is unlikely to be reinstated until the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) declares the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) code-compliant in November. ICE HOCKEY Shane Owen yesterday admitted he did not look as his Fife Flyers team-mates claimed two late strikes to take Sunday’s Elite League thriller against Nottingham Panthers into overtime,
Owen had his head down on the bench having been withdrawn twice to give the Kirkcaldy club an extra skater.
The gamble worked with Chase Schaber netting in the 58th minute and Bryan Cameron converting with five seconds remaining. Mathew Sisca completed the job by claiming the game-winner in sudden death overtime to earn the Scots a 4-3 win.
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