Week after week exciting endings are happening in the final 2011 golf tournaments. Lexi Thompson, a 16-year-old Florida high school junior rewrote the record books when she shot a final round 2-under par to win the Navistar LPGA Classic by 5 strokes. She became the youngest player in the history of the LPGA to win a tournament. She also holds the record for being the youngest player to ever qualify for the US Women’s Open Championship. She was 12 years old.
Keenan Bradley, best known as (LPGA Tour player) Pat Bradley’s nephew, was five shots behind with only three holes to play after he made a triple bogey after hitting his chip shot across the 15th green and into the water. The 25-year-old played himself back into contention with back-to-back birdies forcing Jason Dufner into the 3-hole playoff. Bradley birdied the 16th hole in the playoff and won the final major of the season, the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He has been a PGA Tour member for less than a year. His world ranking went from 108th in the world to 29th.
The 2011 Soldheim Cup at Killeen Castle, Ireland finished last Sunday in a dramatic ending that had everyone holding their breath. It was the classic story of an underdog team winning in the last few holes. The favored Americans led by one point going into the finishing holes of the final three singles matches. Suzann Pettersen started the European comeback. She was 1-down to Michele Wie with 3 holes to play. She birdied all three and pulled out the win on the final hole. In the 2nd to last singles, Caroline Hedwall was 2-down with 2 holes to play against Ryann O’Toole. She won both to pick up ½ point for the Europeans. Azahara Munoz beat Angela Stanford 1-up in the final match to clinch the final score of 15-13 over the Americans in the last 35 minutes of play. Hedwall and Munoz were both captain’s picks!
And who could forget the drama going on at the same time across the ocean in the Fed Ex playoffs at Eastlake to determine the best player of the year. Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan, both 29, battled their emotions in a 3-hole playoff for the title. In a nail biting scenario both traded missed shots and then miraculous recovery shots. Hass’ splash shot on the par-4 17th hole will be replayed for years to come as perhaps the most sensational since Tiger’s chip-in at the Masters. Bill Haas’ approach shot hit on the bank and rolled down into the water. Hunter Mahan was already on the green. Haas blasted his shot out like a bunker shot and it spun to a dead stop less than 3-feet from the flagstick. Mahan missed his birdie putt and Haas made his par putt to tie the hole. On the 3rd playoff hole Mahan made bogey and Hass made par to win the FedExCup and the $11.44 million prize money. Hass is the first player in his 20’s to win the Cup.
And the drama continues with the President’s Cup, captained by Fred Couples to be played the week of November14th at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, Australia. After his win, Bill Haas was picked by Couples for the U.S. Team. His father, Jay is a captain’s assistant.
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