Loves storm to Father/Son win
Davis, Dru fire 56 for record 118 total
ORLANDO, Fla. – Davis Love III’s winning ways are ageless.
The 54-year-old and his son, Dru, fired a 16-under-par 56 in a scramble format Sunday in the PNC Father/Son Challenge to storm from three shots back to a three-shot victory.
Team Love began the day hot, starting the round birdiebirdie-eagle. After par at No. 4, the pair ripped off five birdies in a row to go out in 9-under 27. The pace didn’t slow down much from there, as the Loves went 5 under from Nos. 11-15. They then finished birdie-birdie to get in at 26-under.
Nobody challenged down the stretch. The two-day 118 total was a tournament record by a shot. Retief Goosen and son Leo fired a 58 Sunday to jump five spots to tie for second at 121. John Daly and son Little John were the first-round leaders but finished at 23-under, too, along with Team Cink, Stewart and Connor.
The day unfolded in the Loves’ favor thanks to an aggressive mind-set.
“Today I told (Dru), ‘Let’s try to hole every wedge shot, let’s try to eagle every hole like we’re behind,’ ” Davis Love III said.
This is the pair’s second win in this event; they won in 2012.
The elder Love, a 21-time PGA Tour winner, earns another victory in his 50s. This one is not his most impressive to date. Three years ago, Love became the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history when he captured the Wyndham Championship at 51.
When comparing that triumph to his win Sunday with Dru, Davis noted, “It’s more special to win with your son.”
Dru sarcastically interjected, “Come on.”
“We had a lot of fun today,” Dru explained, “but winning a PGA Tour event, getting your 21st win at 51 years old and playing in the Masters, that’s why you play golf.”
Davis pointed to Dru as the one who helped carry the team to victory, especially with his hot putting.
The 25-year-old fell short at the first stage of Web.com Tour Q-School this fall and his plan in 2019 is to play pretty much anywhere he can. That means Monday qualifiers, mini-tour events, maybe some time in Europe. He’ll compete along with his father at next month’s Asian Tour SMBC Singapore Open. The younger Love did prove himself this fall when he shot a third-round 64 in the RSM Classic and finished T-54 in that PGA Tour field.
After finishing up solo sixth with his grandson G.T., Jack Nicklaus came by and joked to the elder Love, “Get back out on Tour, will ya? Get out of here.” European PGA Tour: Christmas came early for former Northwestern player David Lipsky when he found himself last man standing in the $1.7 million Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. The Los Angeles native earned his second European Tour win and first since the
2014 Omega European Masters. The 30-year-old Las Vegas resident began the final round one stroke off the lead but shot 4-under 68 to post a
14-under 274 for a two-shot victory over Scotland’s David Drysdale. Contributing: Alistair Tait of Golfweek