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DETROIT (AP) – Cam Davis landed a 50-foot sand shot on the 71st regulation hole and it propelled him into a five-hole playoff where he outlasted Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his first victory on the PGA Tour. .
“That’s the only reason I’m sitting here now,†Davis said at a press conference beside the trophy. “To be honest, in my head, I hadn’t thought of trying to punch him.”
Davis ultimately won when Merritt missed a 6-foot putt on the fifth hole of the playoffs.
Davis missed putts to win every hole in the playoffs, but kept his cool because he knew good shots set up putts he just missed.
The 26-year-old Aussie left 6 and 18-foot high putts, a 25-foot low putt and a 19-foot high. He misinterpreted a break on a 12-foot putt on the fifth hole of the playoffs and settled for a par, then won when Merritt bogeyed.
“I just tried to get out of it as much as I could and hit every shot for what it was worth,†Davis said. “As simple as that said, it’s so hard to do when the pressure is like that. I just kept putting good swings on it.
“I guess I didn’t put any putt, but I kept putting it in play, so it worked out well.”
Davis finished under 67 to tie Merritt (68) and Niemann (68) under 270 at Detroit Golf Club. Niemann left the playoffs with a bugy on the first extra hole, his first buggy of the week.
“It’s hard to be here knowing there are playoffs going on right now,” Niemann told reporters.
Niemann had a chance to win it at the 72nd hole, but left a 17-foot-high putt.
“I should have won this tournament, but I mean, that’s what it is,†Niemann said. “I’m going to go get some rest next week and try to do my best for the (British) Open and the Olympics.”
Niemann had two shots that went 569 yards to 17 yards and he had two 14-foot putts to take the lead at 18 yards, but he quickly had company.
Merritt, who was in the last group with Niemann, birdied his fourth out of five holes to share the lead at 17.
Davis joined the leaders with the eagle-birdie finish.
“I’ve been in good positions before, but playing the golf I played on the home stretch was just great,†said Davis, who entered the tournament with four top 10 finishes over the last few years. last two years.
Merritt, 35, was aiming for his third PGA Tour victory and his first since 2018. He has been in contention lately, but he has failed.
“It’s been a good couple two months, four top 10s, now a great end this week,†he said. “I just hope for this victory. We’re knocking on the door.”
Niemann, 22, shared the lead in the second and third rounds and finished second for the third time, including eliminating the Sentry Tournament of Champions playoffs.
Last week at the Travelers Championship, Harris English beat Kramer Hickok in an eight-hole playoff that tied the second longest sudden death in PGA Tour history. Hickock stayed on to watch the playoffs in Detroit after finishing 6 under.
Mackenzie Hughes was the top Canadian, finishing five strokes behind the leaders after 72 holes. The golfer from Dundas, Ont., Clocked a 68 in the final round and tied for 14th.
Roger Sloan (68) of Merritt, BC, tied for 21st under 12, Michael Gligic (70) of Burlington, Ont., Tied for 41st under 8, and Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, BC, tied for 52nd at 7 under.
David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., And Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford were not selected for the weekend.
Alex Noren (64) had a share of the lead at 17. He got out of the heat and humidity but planned to leave the cozy clubhouse as soon as someone got ahead of him and it happened with a trio of competitors. Noren is tied for fourth with Hank Lebioda (68).
Bubba Watson climbed the rankings earlier in the scorching hot afternoon with a 64 to put him at 16 under. This briefly gave him a share of the lead, and he was tied for sixth with Brandon Hagy (68).
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