Scott McCarron left the door open a smidgen and Scotsman Colin Montgomerie burst through it on Sunday, stealing the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship trophy right out of the American’s hands on a day full of low scores at the PGA Tour Champions tournament.
Montgomerie made about a 15-foot birdie putt from just off the green on the third playoff hole to win the inaugural event, which Island organizers hope will return to Bear Mountain for 2017.
McCarron, who began the day with a two-stroke lead, managed just a 1-under 70 to finish at a 15-under 198, while Montgomerie caught him with a 4-under 67. McCarron had a one-stroke lead after a birdie on the 17th hole, but was stymied by a tree after his drive on No. 18 and had to take an unplayable lie and finished with a bogey to force the playoff.
“Scott made an error off the tee and cost him the tournament, really,” Montgomerie told media right afterward. “A five to win it, the tee shot really cost him at the end when he looks back.
“I would look back at that as well, thinking that was the mistake to allow me to have a playoff in the first place. Really, five should have been the score to win, but you still have to do it. It’s a lot harder to achieve than you think.”
Montgomerie told the spectators, amidst darkness setting in, that it was a great day for Great Britain.
“Rory McIlroy goes and wins the FedEx Cup (on the PGA Tour). To have our Royal Family on your grounds here in Canada … and for me to finish this off. I’m just glad to make it three for Great Britain here.”
It was Montgomerie’s fourth PGA Tour Champions victory, with two coming in 2014 and one last year. He is also 2-0 in playoffs, while McCarron, who also won earlier this season, is 0-1 on his first playoff attempt.
It was the fifth playoff this season on the seniors’ tour schedule.
Montgomerie had just one bogey through the three rounds, on the easiest hole, the par-5 12th on Sunday. That hole was also costly for McCarron, who managed just a par.
The PGA Champions Tour leader in par-5 birdies and par-5 eagles, McCarron, specifically pointed out that hole as his demise. Then on the par-5 18th he just kept spinning his approach shots off the green on all three playoff attempts.
“It’s pretty disappointing. In regulation, missing the fairway there and getting the break I did was unfortunate, but I didn’t hit a very good shot,” he said of the 18th hole in regulation. “It was an unfortunate break. I hung in there tough. I didn’t have my ‘A’ game, but I was trying as hard as I could.
“Making that birdie at 17 was big and going into the playoff, I kept doing the same thing, hitting it pin-high and spinning it off the front of the green.”
The victory came while word spread of the death of golf legend Arnold Palmer, known as The King, and the man who founded the Golf Channel, which broadcast the event, but cut out and did not broadcast the final two playoff holes in favour of a tribute to Palmer.
Miguel Angel Jimenez was the story of the day on the course, however, as he and Bernhard Langer began 59 watches as both brought the course to its knees.
After turning in 4-under, Jimenez sandwiched an eagle at No. 12 in between birdies at 10, 11, 13 and 14 to move to 10-under on the day, but then stalled out. He narrowly missed a seven-foot putt on No. 17 and left his birdie putt on 18 just inches shy as well, but still recorded a new course record 10-under 61.
McCarron had recorded a 62 in the opening round on Friday.
Jimenez said he knew it would be a special round if he started with birdie-birdie, “and then almost every hole I had a chance for birdie.”
“I hit very good shots all the time and that’s what you need to do. The key is the putting, you have to be able to put the ball in the hole. I’ve been playing very well, hitting the ball very solid. The difference is today the putts dropped. I didn’t have to make a lot of long putts because I put the ball below the hole and very close. The first short putt I missed today was on 17. I played very solid all day, always hitting it to 1.5 to 3 metres all day.”
He thought his 13-under 200 total wouldn’t be enough, however, and he was correct as he fell two shots shy in a tie for third with Jeff Sluman, Scott Dunlap and Doug Harwood.
“I have no chance. You have to be realistic,” Jimenez said after he finished his round.
Bernhard Langer shot a 7-under 28 on the front nine and was causing a stir until he bladed his approach on the par-5 13th over the green and took a double-bogey seven to take him out of it. He finished at 8-under 63 on the day and 12-under 201 total, tied for seventh with Marco Dawson and Olin Browne.
Victoria’s Jim Rutledge finished with a 3-under 68 to place tied for 41st with a 210 total.
“Better round. I finally started rolling a few on first few holes. Still had some chances and didn’t convert. A decent round overall, but when you look at the scoreboard and see those 9-unders and 10-unders - I don’t know where those are coming from,” said Rutledge, who will head to Newport Beach, California on Monday to try to qualify for the next event.
“It’s soft and no wind definitely plays a big deal out here. If it was howling wind, it would be a tough course. That’s the only defence it has right now. There isn’t any rough to speak of. With big greens and soft greens, they’re going to shoot low.
“I didn’t see those scores coming in here,” added Rutledge.
As for the future of the event, tournament director David Skitt said: “Sure, there’s a chance it could be back.”
A de-briefing will be held, players’ opinions will be gathered, but it will come down to whether or not it is economically viable as talks are ongoing with government officials and the likes of B.C. Tourism.
Montgomerie, McCarron and Jimenez said they would all love to be back.
Total attendance was not available, but a source said the tournament drew roughly 6,000 per day and had targeted more like 10,000.
Montgomerie earned $375,000 for the win, while McCarron took home $220,000 as runner-up. Rutledge made $10,500 for his placing.
The event had the largest-ever purse for a golf event in Greater Victoria — $2.5 million US. It featured top golfers age 50 and older.
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com
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