For the third time in the last four weeks a PGA Tour event ended with a playoff. A long one.
After Cam Davis and Harris English’s marathon wins in back-to-back tournaments, this week’s Barbasol Championship at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky – held opposite the British Open won by Collin Morikawa – was won by Seamus Power in six extra holes over J.T. Poston.
Poston appeared to be cruising to victory on Sunday before a wayward drive and piece of string flipped the final round on its head.
In search of his second PGA Tour win to go with the 2019 Wyndham Championship, Poston had a one-shot lead at 19 under entering the day and got as low as 24 under thanks to a front-nine 4-under 32 aided by a trio of birdies on Nos. 2, 7 and 8 and an eagle on the par-3 5th.
Momentum changed on the par-5 15th when Poston’s tee shot was ruled out of bounds by mere inches. He wound up making double-bogey seven, followed by a bogey on the par-3 16th, which brought Power into play.
Golf is a game of inches.
Leader J.T. Poston's drive at the 15th hole lands out of bounds by the smallest of margins.
He leads by 1 after making a double bogey on the hole. pic.twitter.com/DLwuF2es5b
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 18, 2021
The Irishman was three shots back after 54 holes but posted the clubhouse lead at 21 under after a second consecutive weekend round of 5-under 67.
On the first playoff hole, No. 18, Power chipped-in for birdie from just off the green and Poston answered with a birdie putt from 10 feet. Again on the 18th, Each found the green in regulation and flirted with birdie on the second playoff hole, but a pair of pars pushed the playoff to a third hole.
After each made par yet again, this time on the par-3 ninth, they played the hole again to the same result to send the playoff back to No. 18 for the fifth extra hole. Two more pars meant a sixth playoff hole, No. 18 for a fourth time, where Power prevailed after Poston’s tee shot found the water and his approach missed the green.