One of many luckiest breaks ever in a PGA Tour playoff helped finish one in every of golf’s cruellest winless streaks on the Mexico Open on Monday morning.
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Brian Campbell appeared destined to come back up wanting a maiden PGA Tour victory when his tee shot on the second playoff gap towards Aldrich Potgieter sailed into the bushes.
However a freakish ricochet off a tree — described in commentary as “the kick of a lifetime” — put his ball again into play and he went on to make a birdie on the par 5.
“That’s the bounce of a profession proper there,” one of many commentators acknowledged.
The opposite described the freak stroke a luck as a “1 in 100” second.
“That was 20 yards over the OB stake … that ball was gone … it was the kick of a lifetime,” he stated.
It was Campbell’s 187th begin throughout the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, on which he had completed a runner-up 5 instances.
On finishing his profitable birdie putt, Campbell’s associate sunk to her knees greenside and started crying earlier than the pair shared an emotional embrace.
Campbell described being shell-shocked in victory.
“I’m actually freaking out in facet. I don’t know what’s happening,” he stated.
“I’m so appreciative of the whole lot and to be on this place is so unreal, it’s superior.”
Requested in regards to the kick off the tree, he stated: “Oh my gosh, that bounce. I imply, I’ll take it.”
Campbell’s win was additionally made potential by a brief missed birdie putt from Potgieter, who had began the day with a one-shot lead over the American.
The 20-year-old South African, who spent a lot of his childhood in Perth, tied the course file with a shocking ten-under par second spherical however endured a nervy even-par remaining spherical as he too chased a primary PGA Tour victory.
Taking part in in the identical group within the remaining spherical earlier than extending their battle to 2 playoff holes, Potgieter and Campbell’s battle was a conflict of opposites.
The rising star is a protracted bomber who was gaining a mean 30-yard benefit off the tee over Campbell and was producing roughly 30mph of additional ball pace along with his drives, however the American was unbothered by his stellar wedge play and brief recreation finally arising trumps.
The ultimate playoff gap was the perfect instance of it as Potgieter dumped his second shot on the par 5 into the greenside bunker, whereas Campbell left himself almost 70 yards for his third shot and caught his wedge to slightly greater than three ft to the opening.
Campbell receives a US$1.2 million (A$1.9m) payday for his breakthrough victory, and importantly earns a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour after a profession that has yo-yoed between the first and secondary US Excursions.
The 31-year-old had by no means made a prime ten on the PGA Tour earlier than this week, however he virtually doubled his profession earnings in a single match, having beforehand pocketed US$1.48 million since turning skilled in 2015.
Campbell has additionally given himself the chance to earn much more cash with winners on the PGA Tour assured a spot at The Masters and within the Tour’s US$20 million Signature Occasions, of which there are 5 remaining for the yr.
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