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American duo go to eight extra holes after Watson collapse
Words: GolfPunk
Photography: Getty Images
Harris English beat fellow American Kramer Hickok at the eight-hole of a marathon playoff to win the Travelers Championship. After trading pars for seven holes, English finally broke the deadlock when he holed a twenty-foot putt at the 18th hole on the sixth time of asking in the playoff. Hickok birdied the 18th hole to join clubhouse leader English at the top of the leaderboard and force extra holes. English's fourth PGA title followed his third-place finish at the U.S. Open last week. "This was awesome. The fans were keeping us in it. Hats off to Kramer. What a competitor," said English. "We were grinding out there, making those six and seven-footers. That was incredible. What an experience. The fans are always awesome here. I'm glad we gave them a good little show." It had looked like two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson was set for victory when he covered the front nine in three-under to take the lead. Watson still led by a single shot as he left the 13th green but a bogey at the 14th was the beginning of a complete meltdown. Watson found water at two of the following three holes and threw in a three-putt in between to leak four more shots. The misery continued when he failed to get up and down at the last for par slumped to tied nineteenth. Hickok, chasing his first PGA Tour title, had his chance in the playoff but missed a makable birdie putt at the seventh extra hole. "It was just a hard-fought battle. He battled so hard. There were times I put him in a tough spot, he put me in a tough spot, and he came out on top and he's a true champion," said Hickok. "It was just a tremendous day. It was a privilege. I'm just going to draw on this going forward in my career and hopefully learn a lot from it." Australia's Marc Leishman finished in sole possession of third after a closing six-under 64 with Mexican Abraham Ancer (65) a further shot back in fourth. Brooks Koepka (65) was one of five players in joint fifth at ten-under and Bryson DeChambeau (70) finished alongside Bubba Watson in the tie for nineteenth. The English trio of paul Casey (69), Justin Rose (69) and Ian Poulter (72) finished in tied thirty-sixth on four-under with Countryman Tom Lewis (69) a further shot back.
