Season flushed with first-time Major winners

Jimmy Walker chose to sit around in Scotland for the weekend after missing the cut in The Open at Royal Troon and do some chilling out with his American pals.  He admits to following the last two rounds on Sky television.  The rest obviously did him good because back in America, an inspired Walker took the lead in the US PGA Championship (28-31 July) at Baltusrol GC in New Jersey from day one and never let go of it.  It was the first time he had ever led in a Major.

 

On Sunday afternoon he started with nine straight pars to maintain his lead on 11-under par.  It was only when he holed his bunker shot for birdie at the 10th which he followed-up with another birdie at the next to get to 13-under, that the 37-year old American looked truly destined to win his first Major.

 

The US PGA is the last Major of the season and is traditionally held in August, but this year had been brought forward to July so as to make way for golf’s return to the Olympic Games.  Subsequently, defending champion Jason Day was denied a full 12-month grip on the impressive piece of silver.  However, the Aussie was not planning to let go of the Wanamaker Trophy just yet.  Playing in the group ahead of Walker, the 28-year old Australian was also in stunning form.  In round two, he had carded seven birdies in the space of eight holes at the Baltusrol GC.  And now, with a handful of holes to go, the World Number One was just two strokes behind Walker and hungry for another Major.

 

In fact, it was Day who pushed Walker right to the very end.  A missed birdie opportunity on the 17th from around five feet, however, appeared to be his last chance of retaining the Wanamaker Trophy.  But where there is a will, there is a way.  And Day is just one of those awesome players who seems to be able to find that way these days.

 

Luiten and Kjeldsen shoot 65, Stenson in contention

 

Extreme weather conditions over the weekend resulted in many players having to play 36 holes on Sunday on greens that had not been cut before the final round.  Yet the deliciously receptive greens gave two particular players the edge.  Dutchman Joost Luiten and Soren Kjeldsen from Denmark both shot rounds of 65 for the best score of the day.

 

As fans settled down with their foregone conclusions that Jimmy Walker had the title in the bag, his birdie putt slipped past the hole on the 14th and moments later his drive disappeared into the trees.  After punching his ball out of trouble onto the green, Walker had to settle for par.

 

Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson, fresh from his impressive Open victory at Royal Troon earlier in July, was busy putting on a show to prove that he wasn’t just a one Major wonder.  The Swede was just one shot behind Walker in second place around the halfway mark on Sunday with Day one stroke further behind on 9-under.  The 36-hole final day seemed to take its toll on Stenson on the back nine.  A costly double-bogey, six at the 16th saw him drop back to 8-under for the tournament.

 

Then at the 18th, he had to faff around measuring out club-lengths several times before taking a drop from a nearby crowded grandstand.  All time-consuming and especially grim for the players behind.  Stenson eventually signed for a closing 71 only to see his German playing partner, Martin Kaymer hole a monstrous putt on the last to take a share of 7th spot with him on 272 (8-under par).

 

Phenomenal eagle for Day on closing hole

 

The 554-yard, par-5 18th is apparently the easiest hole on the course at Baltusrol.  No wonder then that Day looked so courageously focused. Yet as he approached the green where his ball lay perfectly placed in two to give him an odds-on chance of making eagle, Walker curled a marvellous putt into the hole for birdie on 17 to get to 14-under – three ahead of him.  Day’s mission was simple.  He had to polish off this eagle putt if he were to put the pressure on Walker.  Tension was mounting.  The fans were in for a treat.  Then, like a Mexican wave, cheers erupted around the final green and clubhouse as the popular player from Beaudesert, Queensland rolled in his eagle putt to shoot a closing 67 and get to 13-under par, just one stroke behind the American.

 

Dressed all in black, the lanky 37-year old Texas citizen was displaying nerves of steel in the Sunday showdown against Jason Day.  All Walker needed to do now was make par down the final hole to clinch his first Major title.  Easier said than done.  The pressure was really on for the PGA Tour player who had won five times in the last three years.  His second shot from around 280 yards just leaked away, missing the green and the bunker to the right but finishing pin-high in lush grass.  The crowds were gasping in anticipation of a play-off.  If Walker were to make bogey, he and Day would enter into a three-hole play-off.

 

Cool cookie Walker takes 18th in his stride

 

Walker, originally from Oklahoma, had shown little sign of nerves or emotion all day.  Every now and again he would just calmly caress his well-trimmed beard in contemplation.  He eyed-up his approach shot over the greenside bunker on the 18th in the same manner.

 

A sensible wedge-shot to the middle of the green followed.  Then a safe lag-up putt for birdie which trickled beyond the hole just a tad too far for a simple tap-in.  From the side of the green, Day watched in quiet anticipation, his heart aching for a play-off.  It was only after Walker had holed-out – a solid-as-a-rock putt for par under immense pressure – that the American’s peak cap came off allowing himself the broadest of smiles.  It’s official, 37-year old James William Walker is the 2016 US PGA Champion (65-66-68-67) and takes home with him to Texas one of the most prestigious, as well as one of the most enormous pieces of silverware in golf, the Wanamaker Trophy, together with a cool 1.8 million dollars.

 

Many congratulations to Jimmy Walker, the 2016 US PGA Champion!

 

Wendy Hoad

 

 

Nice to know…

LEADING FINAL SCORES: 1. J. Walker 266; 2. J. Day 267; 3. D. Summerhays 270; T4 B. Grace, H. Matsuyama, B. Koepka  271; T7 H. Stenson, M. Kaymer, R. Streb 272.

BEST BRITS: T10 T. Hatton, P. Casey 273.

BEST (and only) DUTCH PLAYER: T33 J. Luiten 277.

THE CUT:  86 players made the +2 cut. Among the 9 players missing the cut by one stroke: R. McIlroy, L. Donald, Chris Wood, Victor Dubuisson.

 

 

PICTURED:  Jimmy Walker with the Wanamaker Trophy.