Furyk saves par to win Tour Championship and FedEx Cup
The biggest shot of his career gave Jim Furyk the biggest payoff in golf.
Clinging to a one-shot lead, with a $10-million bonus riding on the outcome, Furyk nearly holed a bunker shot and knocked in the 21/2-foot par putt he had left to win the Tour Championship Sunday at East Lake in Atlanta and capture a FedEx Cup that came down to the very last hole.
Furyk closed with an even-par 70 for a one-shot victory over Luke Donald.
Donald, who chipped in from 100 feet for birdie on the 17th hole to keep his hopes alive, was waiting in the scoring trailer when Furyk hit his hybrid on the 230-yard closing hole into the bunker. A bogey would mean a sudden-death playoff.
When he rapped in his short par putt with his hat turned backward, he plucked the ball out of the cup, just like always.
Then, he dropped his putter and turned toward the grandstand with a powerful thrust of his fist and screamed with delight.
Furyk earned $1.35 million for winning the tournament, and $10 million from the FedEx Cup. He moves to No. 5 in the world ranking.
It was all in Furyk's hands when he birdied the 15th to build a three-shot lead, and Paul Casey bogeyed the 17th hole ahead of him.
But Furyk had to scramble for bogey on the 16th, couldn't reach the green on the 17th and made another bogey as he watched his lead slip to a shot.
The sand shot could pay off in more ways than a big bonus. It was the third victory of the year for Furyk, which could be enough for him to be voted PGA Tour player of the year. No one else has won more than twice.
The $10 million should at least help buy the greatest alarm clock ever made. Furyk was the No. 3 seed when the playoffs began, but was disqualified from the opener when he missed his pro-am time at The Barclays because the battery died in his cell phone, which he used for an alarm.
Cochran wins seniors
Russ Cochran shot a 1-under 71 to win the SAS Championship in Cary, N.C. Cochran finished at 14 under to hold off defending champion Tom Pernice Jr. (68) to win by two strokes. Cochran, who won his first Champions Tour event two weeks ago in South Korea, bogeyed two of the first three holes, but then went 3 under over the next 15 holes to win the tournament and $315,000. - AP
