Playoffs are nothing new in the 6-year history of the Greenbrier Classic PGA TOUR event.
In 2011 Scott Stallings got the ball rolling when he claimed his first Tour win in a 3-man playoff with Bill Haas and Bob Estes.
The following year, Ted Potter, Jr. won the Springhouse Trophy in a 3-hole playoff over Troy Kelly.
Sunday afternoon in White Sulphur Springs, a full foursome began the extra session to determine who would bank the $1.206 winner’s purse.
When the final putt fell into the jar on the par-5 17th, Danny Lee came away with the win, outlasting David Hearn for the title. One hole earlier, on the first playoff hole, the signature par-3 18th, the other two original playoff members, Robert Streb and Kevin Kisner, had fallen out of the hunt with pars after Lee and Hearn has mastered birdie-2s.
The 2015 Classic came away with many notable moments.
It was Tiger Woods’ first appearance since he failed to make the cut here in 2012. Woods finished at minus-7, six shots behind the winning minus-13 total. Woods heads to the British Open at St. Andrews after having a somewhat positive week on The Old White.
Of the five prior Classic champs, two, Stuart Appleby and Potter, were not entered in 2015. Two more, 2013 winner Jonas Blixt and 2014 champ Angel Cabrera, failed to make this year’s 36-hole cut. Stallings finished tied for 67th,good for $13,601, sizably less than the $1+ million he pocketed for the 2011 win.
The greatest excitement of the tournament for the spectators came on Thursday in Jim Justice’s Hole-in-One Jackpot. George McNeill aced the 18th in the morning, giving every person in the stands and on the adjacent par-3 lawn a quick $100 cash payoff. Over four hours later, Justin Thomas pulled all cherries when his shot spun back into the hole for the improbable second hole-in-one of the day, giving every fan $500.
That set the stage, and filled the stands the rest of the tournament, for the possibility of a third hole-in-one which would ring the register to the tune of $1,000 per witness. Despite Justice having shelled out nearly $200,000 to that point, the third ace never materialized the rest of the way.
Friday’s cut line was minus-2, with 14 players falling one shot short of playing the weekend and 19 more coming up two shots short.
Although Hearn, Streb and Kisner each banked over $500,000 for their playoff loss, the big money mover on Sunday was Russell Henley, whose minus-7 63 pushed him one shot short of making it a 5-man playoff and netting him $268,000 of the total $6.7 million purse.
You might say the money adds up quick if you’re remotely successful. A player had to finish 32nd or below before he earned less than $45,000.
And, the craziest rally had to come from the perseverance of Streb. He broke his putter Sunday on the 9th hole, finishing the inward nine holes by putting with his wedge before still making the playoff.
Once again, The Old White reared its head with surprises.
Bill Turner
