Sunday, April 19, 2015

2015 RBC Heritage results: Jim Furyk ends excruciating winless streak with playoff victory


Kevin Kisner pushed Jim Furyk to a couple dramatic extra playoff holes, but at long last, the former U.S. Open champ with the funky swing ends a brutal five-year drought.


It's oddly fitting that Jim Furyk ended one of the more excruciating winless streaks in recent golf history the quiet week after the Masters and out of view of a television camera. Furyk is maybe the most unheralded great player of his generation on the PGA Tour. Over the past fives years, we've witnessed repeated brutal close calls -- on Sunday at the majors, in Canada, at Pebble Beach, and everywhere in between. Then, when he finally ends that five-year drought with one onions shot after another to hold off Kevin Kisner in a playoff at the RBC Heritage, nobody is there to see it live.


After holding so many 54-hole leads during this drought, Furyk decided to finally get back on the board by coming from behind with a dramatic Sunday charge. He held a multi-shot lead for much of the back nine thanks a perfect outward 30, which featured six birdies and no bogeys on the card. The 17-time PGA Tour winner stuffed it close all day to quickly pass the group ahead of him on one of the season's most enjoyable and historic tracks. When he finally posted that first bogey -- the result of a three-putt -- Furyk got it right back at the 12th:



And yet because it was Furyk and he had this nightmare streak that just wouldn't go away, the final round 63 would not be enough. He was momentarily up three with three to play, but then Kisner went nuts on his way into the clubhouse. Kisner, a South Carolina native, has zero career wins but he pushed Furyk to the limit. After three birdies in Kisner's final five holes, the mutli-shot lead evaporated. Kisner needed a birdie on the 18th to force extra holes, and he threw a dart into the final green.




While Furyk stood off hiding behind a TV tower and unable to watch, Kisner drilled the putt to force a playoff. At that point, it seemed Furyk was cursed and might never win again. It was an incredible finish for Kisner.


Furyk, however, went to work in the playoff. He matched a 20-foot bomb from Kisner on the opening playoff hole with his own steady birdie putt from just inside 10 feet. At the second playoff hole. Kisner was once again 20 feet out for birdie while Furyk had 12 feet left. Kisner could not convert and Furyk buried his in the center to go birdie-birdie in the playoff and shatter that winless streak in the best way possible.




Furyk may be the most consistent player in the world over the past few years. His game wandered off for a bit after that 2010 FedExCup title, but no one has been on the first page of the leaderboard as much as him. No one has had more 54-hole leads and chances to win. But because of a mix of poor final round play, a few bad breaks, and some outstanding rounds from the players chasing him, this cringe-worthy drought persisted.


Furyk is one of the good guys on Tour but the losing streak on Sundays, which included a couple prime opportunities at majors, has been suffocating and at times, uncomfortable. Furyk knew the questions were coming every time he got a lead, and even though there was occasional surliness, he was usually open to the discussion (no matter how much it bothered him). Given where he stood with just three holes to play, this one may have been the toughest to stomach had Kisner grabbed it from him.


Prior to today, his last win -- a $10 million FedExCup title on the best Tour in the world -- prompted projections for many more wins and potentially a few more major championships. He's been on the doorstep so many times in the intervening years. His game is still among the best in the world and he's settled into a spot in the top 10 in the rankings even without winning. That's how consistent he has been. Perhaps this Sunday finish in obscurity will put Furyk on another run of titles. We'll know he'll be there on the first page of leaderboard either way.


Here are your final results from the 2015 Heritage at Hilton Head:















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Place Player Score Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Total
1Jim Furyk-1871646863266
2Kevin Kisner-1868676764266
3Troy Merritt-1669616969268
4Brendon Todd-1573666367269
5Matt Kuchar-1468666868270
6Sean O'Hair-1370677064271
T7Louis Oosthuizen-1269676967272
T7Branden Grace-1270676669272
T9Morgan Hoffmann-1168686968273
T9Bo Van Pelt-1169686769273
T11Blake Adams-1072657166274
T11Justin Thomas-1070676869274
T11Jordan Spieth-1074626870274
T11Brice Garnett-1072666571274
T15Bryce Molder-974647067275
T15Cameron Smith-968736767275
T15Luke Donald-973666670275
T18John Peterson-872657168276
T18Jerry Kelly-871667069276
T18Lucas Glover-870677069276
T18Matt Every-866707070276
T18Jason Kokrak-872706569276
T18Russell Knox-875646770276
T18Ian Poulter-869706770276
T18Brendon de Jonge-870686771276
T26Brandt Snedeker-777646769277
T26Carl Pettersson-772696967277
T26Pat Perez-769716770277
T26Graeme McDowell-766697072277
T26John Merrick-769657172277
T31Bill Haas-671706869278
T31Martin Flores-673676969278
T31William McGirt-671706869278
T31Stewart Cink-670677170278
T31Alex Cejka-670716968278
T31Joost Luiten-669717068278
T37Freddie Jacobson-571687070279
T37Ben Martin-569697071279
T37Sang-Moon Bae-567737069279
T37Ricky Barnes-569727068279
T37Ben Crane-572677268279
T37Jason Dufner-574676672279
T37Scott Brown-574677167279
T44Brian Harman-475656971280
T44Steven Bowditch-474686870280
T44Robert Streb-474686870280
T44Hudson Swafford-470697170280
T44Anirban Lahiri-473696672280
T44Zac Blair-470697170280
T44George McNeill-472677269280
T51Billy Horschel-372696971281
T51Webb Simpson-371706971281
T51Vijay Singh-371677073281
T51Martin Laird-372707069281
T55Robert Allenby-271716773282
T55Brian Stuard-273686972282
T55Kevin Streelman-271657175282
T55Charl Schwartzel-272707169282
T55Jason Bohn-273687467282
T60Danny Lee-171716972283
T60James Hahn-170697272283
T60Andres Gonzales-170727071283
T60Daniel Summerhays-170707370283
T64Charley HoffmanE71707172284
T64Scott VincentE70707173284
T66Jim Renner169697473285
T66Aaron Baddeley170677672285
T66Scott Langley168707671285
T69Chris Stroud272676978286
T69Chris Kirk271707372286
T69Charlie Beljan269727471286
T72Tom Watson372706976287
T72Daniel Berger372687572287
74Nick Taylor472697770288
T75Ryo Ishikawa771707575291
T75Boo Weekley774677773291





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