HONOLULU (AP) – Grayson Murray stuffed a wedge to three feet for birdie on the 18th hole for a 3-under 67 to join a three-way playoff and then won the Sony Open yesterday with a 40-foot birdie putt to set himself up for a potentially lucrative year.
The victory not only gets him in the Masters for the first time, Murray now has a spot in the USD20-million signature events the rest of the season.
As big as the win was for Murray, it was a tough loss for Byeong Hun An and Keegan Bradley.
An was short of the par-5 18th green in the playoff in thick rough and pitched on to four feet, giving him the best chance at winning. An missed the short putt. He birdied the 18th in regulation for a 64.
Bradley broke out of a five-way tie with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole. But he had pars the rest of the way for a 67, missing the fairway on the 18th in regulation and hitting a sand wedge some 20 feet short of the pin that took away a good birdie chance.
