Sutherland tops Broadhurst on 9th playoff hole for title
PHOENIX — Kevin Sutherland and Paul Broadhurst dealt with darkness near the end of six playoff holes Sunday, neither able to make a putt to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
When they returned Monday morning, they faced a different challenge: the crisp desert air.
Figuring the ball wouldn’t fly as far, Sutherland made the proper adjustment, hitting a 7iron on the par4 17th hole to 4 feet.
Sutherland made the putt, ending the final PGA Tour Champions event of the year after nine playoff holes played over two days.
Sutherland said, “It wasn’t as breezy, obviously, but just the ball wasn’t going as far so those holes played quite a bit differently. Then I hit a 7iron that I’ll remember a long time.”
Sutherland and Broadhurst were forced to return to Phoenix Country Club to finish after playing to a stalemate over six playoff holes in near darkness Sunday. They continued to match each other through two playoff holes on a chilly morning in the desert, the second with dueling birdies.
Sutherland finally got the breakthrough on the ninth playoff hole, hitting his 163yard approach shot close to the flag. He made the putt to win his fourth PGA Tour Champions title after Broadhurst got upanddown for par from short of the green.
“Kevin hit the shot on the ninth extra hole. He hit a great shot into a couple of feet,” Broadhurst said. “I thought I hit a good shot, but it just hung up in the cold breeze and came up a yard short. Another yard, it might have been 10 feet. It was a good playoff.”
Sutherland won at Phoenix Country Club to clinch the season title in 2017. His win this year was for only the tournament title. The season champion won’t be crowned until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
After returning to the course Monday morning, Sutherland twoputted from 30 feet on No. 17, the seventh playoff hole. Broadhurst had it a little tougher after pulling his approach shot, but he chipped to about 4 feet and made the putt to extend the playoff.
The eighth playoff hole resulted in a birdie. Actually, two to extend the playoff another hole.
Sutherland rolled in a 25footer on the par5 18th, similar to what he made to force the playoff Sunday. Broadhurst dropped a 6footer on top of him to force a ninth playoff hole.
Broadhurst shot a bogeyfree 63 Sunday to make up a sixshot deficit.
Sutherland led by five shots over Wes Short Jr. after a secondround 64, but Sutherland labored through his final round. He rallied to make a 25foot putt on No. 18 to force the playoff and finish off a 2underpar 69.
“I’m proud of the way I played all week. Kevin won and that’s fair enough,” Broadhurst said. “He hit the shot when it mattered.”