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A22 sports
Monday 5 February 2018

Gary Woodland beats Chez Reavie in Phoenix Open playoff

By JOHN NICHOLSON
AP Sports Writer
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) —
Gary Woodland was sur-
prised to see infant son Jax-
son with wife Gabby late
Sunday afternoon at the
Waste Management Phoe-
nix Open.
“My wife kind of surprised
me with him,” Woodland
said. “I didn’t think he was
going to be there. I thought
it would just be her. For her
to bring him out, that was
special and something I’ll
never forget.”
Jaxson was born prema-
turely in June after a twin
girl was lost in a miscar-
riage. On Sunday at TPC
Scottsdale, he was in his
father’s arms at the trophy
celebration after a playoff
victory. “For him to be here,
it’s obviously a miracle,”
Woodland said. “I’m just so
excited to share this with
him and my family. Hope-
fully, it’s the start of some-
thing special.” Woodland
beat Chez Reavie with a
par on the first extra hole. Gary Woodland smiles for photographers with the championship trophy after his one-hole playoff win after the final round of the
Playing three groups ahead Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
of Reavie, Woodland bird- Associated Press
ied three of the last four foot birdie putt on the par- fidence and really hit the curled in an 8-footer on the tied for third at 15 under.
holes for a 7-under 64 — 4 18th to force the PGA ball well coming down the par-3 16th, made a 5-foot- Phil Mickelson had the fans
the best round of the day Tour’s fourth straight playoff stretch.” er on the par-4 17th and roaring with three straight
— to finish at 18-under 266. and the event’s third over- “I carried the sign board parred the par-4 18th. birdies, the second a
He opened with rounds of time finish in a row. here growing up when I Woodland birdied three of 30-footer on 16.
67, 68 and 67 after getting “It’s right up there with the was in high school and ju- the first five, holed a 30-foot But, needing an eagle on
some advice from instruc- putt I made to win in Cana- nior high and to have a chip to save par on the 18 to tie Woodland, he
tor Butch Harmon. da,” the 36-year-old former chance to win the tourna- par-4 sixth and added bird- drove left into the church
“Butch sent me a text Arizona State player said. ment this week was a lot of ies on Nos. 8 and 9. pew bunker that Wood-
Thursday morning before “It was a lot of fun. Fortu- fun,” Reavie said. He bogeyed the par-4 11th land hit into in the playoff
I played and said, ‘Forget nately, I walked up and I The crowd was estimated after hitting left into the and made double bogey.
about everything else, let’s really got a good read off at 64,273 for a record week- desert, and got the stroke The 47-year-old Hall of
just put four rounds togeth- it right away.” long total of 719,179. On back with a two-putt birdie Famer tied for fifth at 14 un-
er. Don’t worry about what In the playoff on 18, Wood- Saturday, 216,818 jammed on the par-5 13th. He bo- der after a 69.
you shoot, don’t worry land hit short of the green the grounds, the biggest geyed the par-4 14th be- “I just didn’t get it going
about winning, just put four from the left fairway bun- turnout in golf history. fore making the late run. early,” Mickelson said. “It
good rounds together,’” ker and chipped to 2 feet “They were great,” Reavie Woodland also won in 2011 was fun to be in contention.
Woodland said. “I don’t to set up his third PGA Tour said. “Being a hometown at Innisbrook and in 2013 I had a great time coming
know if that put me at ease victory and first since 2013. guy, everyone’s rooting me in Nevada. He played col- down the stretch. I didn’t
or what, but I definitely put “It’s been coming. We on.” He finished with a 66. lege basketball at Wash- like, obviously, the last hole.
four good rounds together knew it the last month,” After a bogey on the par-3 burn in Topeka, Kansas, as ... I hate finishing like that.”q
this week.” Woodland said. “And sure 16th, he chipped to 3 feet a freshman before transfer- He made his record-tying
Reavie, who got his lone enough today it all clicked for birdie on the par-4 17th. ring to Kansas to play golf. 29th start in the event he
victory at the 2008 Cana- and I made some putts Woodland two-putted for Ollie Schniederjans (65) won in 1996, 2005 and
dian Open, made a 20- early, gave me some con- birdie on the par-5 15th, and Brendan Steele (67) 2013.q