Poulter’s putter delivers victory in Houston, last Masters berth
HUMBLE, TEXAS » Ian Poulter delivered another big moment Sunday, this one for himself.
Down to his last putt, Poulter made a 20-foot birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Beau Hossler, and then he won the Houston Open with a par on the first extra hole to earn the last spot in the Masters.
One week after Poulter was mistakenly told he had locked up a spot at Augusta National through the world ranking, he left no doubt by winning with a clutch moment reminiscent of his Ryder Cup heroics from Medinah in 2012.
“I had to dig deep today,” said Poulter, who closed with a 5-under 67.
Hossler, who also shot 67, overcame a three-shot deficit with four straight birdies on the back nine. He had a chance to win on the 18th in regulation with a 30foot birdie putt that trickled over the right edge of the cup.
That set the stage for Poulter, and the 42-year-old from England lived up to his nickname as “The Postman” by delivering his biggest putt in years. Poulter pounded his chest five times when the putt dropped, and all Hossler could do was smile.
“I did think I’d made it,” Hossler said, “but it hung out there. Ian basically had the same putt and there’s no way he was going to miss it after watching my ball. I gave Ian the perfect read (for him) to make his putt. I knew he was going to make it.”
In the sudden-death playoff on the 18th, one of the more daunting finishing holes off the tee with water down the left side and a bunker to the right, Hossler found the bunker for the second time. He hit into a greenside bunker, and his third shot caught way too much ball and went over the green and into the water.
Poulter was safely on the green as Hossler took his penalty drop, chipped onto the green and took two putts for a triple bogey.
They finished 269.
Poulter won for the third time on the PGA Tour, and his first in America since the Match Play in 2010 at Arizona. This was his first stroke-play victory in America, at 19-under and the timing could not have been better.
Park, Lindberg to return Monday for 5th playoff hole
RANCHO MIRAGE » Inbee Park and Pernilla Lindberg played until it was too dark to see Sunday night — and still couldn’t decide the ANA Inspiration.
They’ll return to Mission Hills Monday morning for the fifth extra hole in the LPGA Tour’s first major championship of the season.
Jennifer Song dropped out with a par on the third playoff hole, and Park and Lindberg decided to take one more trip down the par-5 18th in fading light.
With portable lights and the scoreboard helping illuminate the green, Park made a 6-foot par putt and Lindberg made a short putt to match. They finished at 7:21 p.m., 15 minutes after sunset.
Play will resume at 8 a.m. on the par-4 10th in the first Monday finish in tournament history.
On the third extra hole, Park hit a wedge from the rough to 1 1/2 feet to set up a birdie, and Lindberg made a 5-footer. Song missed a 10foot birdie try.
Park and Song had putts to win on the first two extra holes. Park missed from 15 feet on the first, and Song’s 7-footer went to the right on the second. Park scrambled to save par on the second playoff hole after hitting into the right fairway bunker and nearly hitting her third into Poppie’s Pond right of the green.
All three players birdied the par-5 18th, with Song getting to 15 under first with a 5-foot putt. Park followed with a 4-footer in the next group, and Lindberg matched her in the final group. Park and Song shot 5-under 67, and Lindberg had a 71.
Park won in 2013 at Mission Hills and is a seventime major champion. The 29-year-old Hall of Famer won the Founders Cup two weeks ago in Phoenix for her 19th tour title, a day after revealing she was 50-50 about retiring before returning from a long break. She returned to play a month ago in Singapore after not playing since the Women’s British Open in August.