The best golfers in the world were in England for The Open Championship, but that didn’t mean the PGA Tour couldn’t conjure a little drama of its own back at home.
Ireland’s Seamus Power defeated J.T. Poston on the sixth playoff hole to win the Barbasol Championship for his first career PGA Tour title.
Poston lost a healthy lead down the home stretch at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky. His tee shot on No. 15 was ruled out of bounds by several inches, leading to a double bogey. Poston then made a three-putt bogey at the par-3 16th, slipping to 21 under.
Power, 34, birdied No. 18 to shoot a final-round 67 and force a playoff, and he chipped in for birdie on the first playoff hole to ensure it kept going.
The two contenders played No. 18 twice, then No. 9 twice before returning to No. 18. On the sixth playoff hole, Poston again hit a drive out of bounds, this time rolling into a water hazard. Power two-putted for par to beat Poston’s bogey.
It was the third lengthy playoff the tour has seen just in the past month. Harris English bested Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championship after eight playoff holes, tying for the second-longest playoff in tour history. A week later, Cam Davis won the Rocket Mortgage Classic on the fifth playoff hole over Troy Merritt and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann.
Poston, the 36-hole and 54-hole leader, finished with a final-round 70.
The Barbasol serves as the alternate event for PGA Tour players who do not qualify for The Open Championship, the final major of the year.
Anirban Lahiri of India and Sam Ryder both carded 7-under 65s Sunday and tied for third at 20 under. Six players tied for fifth at 19 under: Patrick Rodgers (67), Sweden’s Henrik Norlander (67), Ryan Armour (68), Chile’s Mito Pereira (67), James Hahn (70) and Luke List (71).
–Field Level Media