After seven winless years on the PGA Tour, forty-eight year old Brian Gay got back in the winner’s circle today by shooting a seven-under par 64 to get in a playoff and win the Bermuda Championship on the wind-swept island of Bermuda. On the first extra hole, Gay bested the twenty-six year old PGA Tour rookie Wyndham Clark with a birdie for Gay’s fifth Tour title of his pro golf career.
Earlier in this last round, Clark was shooting birdies like he was at a carnival, drilling five on the first seven holes to take the lead. Then he birdied the 10th and 11th holes to make it a three-shot lead. But Gay then rattled off four birdies of his own in six holes on the back nine to make it a contest as the two tied for regulation play with 15-under par 269 totals. Both had birdie putts of about fifteen feet on the extra hole. Gay made his first, right in the middle of the cup, and Clark then missed.
Brian Gay said afterwards, “I’ve been fighting. The guys are young and hitting it really far, so I’ve tried to do some things in the gym and some stuff with my swing to get some more distance to try to stay out here [on Tour] longer. I want to to stay past turning 50.” It looks like he will now since a win on the PGA Tour gives you a two-year exemption and entry into some of the majors, such as next week’s Master.
Hats off to one of the good-old guys this week. The very likable, sixty-four year old Fred Funk somehow snuck into this weak field and made the cut. The short but very straight hitter averaged 245 yards off the tee to finish 59th and win $9,000. He’s only about 100 yards short of Bryson De Chambeau’s average drives. It sounds like De Chambeau spends just about as much time in the gym lifting weights and eating a dozen protein shakes per day as he does time spent on the golf course. I’d like to say to Freddie, who I’ve known since before he ever got on the PGA Tour, “I guess it’s never too late to start.”
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