Cantlay is clutch in BMW win
Beats DeChambeau with 20-foot birdie putt on sudden-death playoff hole
OWINGS MILLS, MD. >> Patrick Cantlay had enough on his hands to keep his attention Sunday as he was locked in an epic battle with Bryson DeChambeau, a compelling contrast of styles and personalities Sunday in the BMW Championship.
Even so, he couldn’t ignore what fans shouted from behind the ropes Sunday at Caves Valley. “Patty Ice.”
With the putter in his hand and ice in his veins, Cantlay delivered one clutch putt after another to survive the final three holes of regulation and six tense holes of a sudden-death playoff, finally winning with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.
The most important putt? It was hard to tell.
He closed out his 6-under 66 with an 8-foot par putt on the 16th, an 8-foot bogey putt on the 17th after a tee shot into the water, and a 20-foot birdie on the 18th to force a playoff. Twice on the 18th in the playoff, where DeChambeau had a 30-yard advantage off the tee, Cantlay made par putts from 6 feet and 7 feet.
The most important putt was the last one.
“But they all mattered, I guess, the same,” Cantlay said. “I needed all of them.”
DeChambeau, who also closed with a 66, can pick just as many that cost him. His week featured a missed 6-footer on the 18th for a chance at 59 on Friday. And in the final round, he missed a 12-foot birdie to win in regulation, three more birdie putts in the playoff, and then his final putt to send the great theater into another amazing scene.
DeChambeau, who has stopped talking to any media that isn’t a PGA Tour partner, refused comment for everyone Sunday. He became the first player in PGA Tour
history to post 261 without taking home a trophy.
Cantlay received two trophies — one from the the BMW Championship, the other from the century-old Western Golf Association — and plenty of other perks for his PGA Tour-leading third victory of the season and fifth overall.
He moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, news he met by saying, “I know.” That means Cantlay goes to the Tour Championship next week with a
two-shot lead over Tony Finau in the FedEx Cup finale with $15 million to the winner.
And he clinched the sixth and final automatic spot for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Steve Stricker has six captain’s picks, and there was no way he was going to leave “Patty Ice” off the team regardless of the outcome.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard it. But I got it all week,” Cantlay said about his nickname. “There was maybe one or two guys that followed me around all four days, and they just every hole were screaming it. These were some of the
most supportive, loudest fans I’ve ever experienced.”
They were treated to an amazing show.
DeChambeau was smashing away, using his length to set up birdies. Cantlay never flinched, relying on a classic game with no apparent weakness. He laid up on par 5s he could reach if the risk wasn’t worth it, relying on his wedge and — of course — his putter.
The PGA Tour said it was the best statistical performance putting in a tournament since the “Strokes Gained” category became available in 2004.
DeChambeau had his
moments. Driving into the stream down the left side of the 18th fairway on the fourth extra hole, he took a penalty drop and hammered wedge to 4 feet to save par.
He looked like a winner — again — with a wedge to 6 feet on the par-3 17th on the fifth playoff hole, only for Cantlay to coolly hit 8-iron to 2 feet.
Erik van Rooyen and Sergio Garcia played their way into the top 30 who qualify for the Tour Championship. Patrick Reed managed to hang on to the 30th spot, but only after K.H. Lee made bogey on his final hole.