Sunday Drama Not Enough At Torrey

SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods took the headlines for most of the week but Sunday at Torrey Pines it was an epic show from four others that had us enthralled. And there is still more to come in the narrative as after five extra holes Jason Day and Alex Noren could not be separated, and the pair will return Monday morning to continue in sudden death at the Farmers Insurance Open. As the leaders made the turn in high winds on Sunday at the South Course, it was clearly a race in four. Australian Day, Swede Noren and Americans Ryan Palmer and J.B. Holmes separated themselves at the top and provided an epic grind to the end. Day was playing ahead of the other three who were paired together in the final group. And the Aussie flinched first with a three-putt bogey on 11 and then another bogey on the 15th, dropping him one back of the others. They all flinched right back. Almost immediately Noren, Palmer and Holmes all made errors on the 14th hole, making bogey to restore a four-way tie. Noren steadied but Palmer – who was chasing a fourth PGA TOUR win and first since January 2010 – dropped another shot on the next hole. Holmes joined him with the bogey-bogey effort. And then Holmes added a third for good measure, effectively knocking him out of the mix. Day and Noren couldn’t find another birdie in the closing three holes of regulation, but Palmer made it happen on 18 to make it three players going extras. The Swede was unlucky. Sitting in the fairway waiting to hit his approach on the 72nd hole, Noren was forced to wait an exorbitant amount of time as Holmes contemplated his play. The five-time winner, who lost a playoff to Day at the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open, needed an eagle to have any hope of playing on. After backing off numerous times, Holmes decided to lay-up. And did so in the rough. A birdie left him one shy. He was unapologetic when talking with the Golf Channel saying he was still trying to win. After the long wait, Noren nuked his 3-wood through the green and under a grandstand. The resulting drop left him with a very tough up-and-down to win. He failed. He didn’t lay blame at Holmes but did say the extra time made him change clubs. He was originally contemplating a hybrid that would not have gone over the green. Noren did concede it could have brought the water in front of the green into play. Palmer was knocked out in the first extra holes after failing to match birdies from Day and Noren. Noren nearly holed a wedge for eagle. Day slid in a 7-footer he knew he needed. Another trip down 18 left both men with eagle putts. Noren’s from a mile didn’t fall. Day couldn’t win it from 17-feet. The Australian had chances from 11 and 27 feet on the next two playoff holes to ice it but missed by inches both times. Clutch 5-foot birdies by both men on the fifth playoff hole in near darkness ensured Monday golf. “Alex is playing some tremendous golf. To be able to go through and go shot for shot there was pretty special,â€� Day said afterwards. “I’m just going to try and get some rest tonight and I’ll play all day tomorrow if I need to get the win.â€� Day is aiming for an 11th PGA TOUR title, his last coming at the 2016 PLAYERS Championship. Noren is in just his second PGA TOUR event as a member (35 total) but has nine wins on the European Tour. “I could barely see the last putt, but it’s very enjoyable, this is what I play for, so I’m excited,â€� he said. “It’s like match play coming down the stretch. It’s so important over every shot. Here you need to play aggressive to finish it out.â€� The playoff continues at 11am Eastern, 8am local and is slated to begin on the 18th hole before going to the 16th, 17th and 18th again if needed.  OBSERVATIONS Ryan Palmer was looking to end an eight-year win drought, but ended up just shy as he pushed his third shot well right at the par-5 18th hole and failed to birdie it, falling out of the playoff. He secured his PGA TOUR card on a major medical extension at the CareerBuilder Challenge last week, and his finish this week might have him heading all the way to the FedExCup Playoffs. Since 2011, he has the most top-five finishes on TOUR without a win (19). He was hoping to win on his son Mason’s birthday. “It would have been a fun present,â€� Palmer said, “but I’m ecstatic where my game’s at now, especially on the greens from where I was the last year-and-a-half.â€� Rose makes Rahm putt: Justin Rose was struggling. With the wind swirling, he found himself between clubs and made pretty much nothing on the greens. Then he came to the par-5 18th hole, where he birdied from 59 feet, 9 inches, a shot that technically didn’t count as a putt because it was from the back fringe. It was also a mirror image of the eagle putt Jon Rahm made to win the Farmers last year. The result was Rose’s ninth straight top-10 finish worldwide, dating to his T10 at THE NORTHERN TRUST to open the FedExCup Playoffs.   Phil Mickelson struggled on the weekend, shooting scores of 76-74 to finish T45 after getting himself into contention with scores of 70-68 in the first two rounds. Still, he made the cut and was characteristically optimistic. “It’s actually a good start to the year,â€� Mickelson said. “I think that the game is closer than it looks. This course will penalize you. It’s very difficult, and it only gets easier from here, and hopefully I’ll start to play a little better.â€� Wind was certainly a huge factor on Sunday. Just ask C.T. Pan. Starting with a legitimate shot at the tournament Pan birdied the first hole to be just two off the lead. But at the par-3 3rd, the Santa Ana winds beefed up and Pan sent his ball over the cliff edge off the tee twice. After a third re-tee and a chip onto the green he was laying six, and still away in the group. A quintuple bogey eight was made feel even worse when Jason Day made birdie on top of it. Pan shot 79 to finish T35. NOTABLES Tiger Woods – The 79-time PGA TOUR winner shot a final-round 72 to finish 3-under and T23. Read about his week here. J.B. Holmes – Had an excellent chance until three-straight bogeys on holes 14-16. Birdie on 18 gave him even-par 72 and solo fourth. Tony Finau – Was well in the mix to win after three-straight birdies on the front, but bogeyed three of his first four holes on the back and shot 73 (T6).  Keegan Bradley – Comeback continues for the New England sports fan after a final-round 70 gave him a solo fifth. QUOTABLES We just need a few cars on the fairways to show us where we’re going.   I had a good first couple of days, but the weekend was tough.I wish I had that wedge back, obviously, but I hung in there all day.  I fought hard for these scores. These weren’t yawners, down the middle, on the green, two-putt and one-hand your second putts in the hole.   SUPERLATIVES Low round: 69, by Charles Howell III (T6) and Hideki Matsuyama (T12) Longest drive: 394 yards, by John Huh at the first hole Longest putt: 46 feet, 5 inches, by Roberto Diaz at the 12th hole. He birdied it but shot 79. Easiest hole: The par-5 18th played to a 4.792 stroke average. Hardest hole: The par-4 fourth and par-4 14th holes each played to a 4.481 stroke average. SHOT OF THE DAY

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