Hearn reflects on what might have been

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — David Hearn left Oak Hill Country Club wondering about the ones that got away.

It was cool to lead the PGA Championship, even if it was only briefly in the first round, but the 34-year-old golfer from Brantford, Ont., ended up in a tie for 47th after shooting a 72 for a total of 285.

“Overall, I feel like I didn’t play my best golf,” Hearn said Sunday. “I played a nice round on Thursday. After that I was pretty average or not quite up to the level that I know I can play. I just had trouble finishing my rounds this week, just wasn’t solid on those last couple of holes.”

“Wasn’t solid” on No. 17 and 18 understated it. Those par-4 holes measured between 472 and 510 yards and played into the wind all week, and Hearn made just one par against six bogeys and a double-bogey.

Sunday was typical. He missed the 17th and 18th fairways with tee shots, had to lay up short of the greens and, despite hitting good wedge shots, could not make the par putts.

The popular Canadian can be proud that he played 64 other holes in his first PGA Championship in three strokes under par, but eight over on 17 and 18 was, well, another matter.

“I’ll look back at the week and see what I did well and see what I can improve on, and I’ll kind of summarize it and talk to Ralph (Bauer, his coach) about it in our off week, then figure out what needs to be looked at, or if anything does,” Hearn said.

For now, it’s back to Brantford to think about playing in and leading the PGA Championship in front of what seemed like hundreds of Canadian spectators. “It felt great. There was a lot of support here,” said Hearn, one of only two Canadians to qualify for this championship and the only one to play all four rounds after Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., missed the cut.