John Deere Classic Wrapup
Jonathan Byrd relied on late birdies at the John Deere Classic.
Tim Clark had just birdied the 13th hole to get to 19-under par and held a four stroke lead over Byrd. It looked as though the South Africa would add another name to the list of South African winners on the PGA Tour, but late bogeys dashed those hopes.
Clark bogeyed the 15th and 17th holes to drop to 17-under par.
On the other hand, Byrd capitalized as Clark slipped. He closed with a four-under 32 on the back nine and got to 19-under par. Clark could not birdie the 18th and Byrd collected his 3rd PGA Tour win.
Not only did Byrd earn a victory and a check for $738,000 in Illinois, he also earned himself a spot in next week’s British Open at Carnoustie Golf Club.
Byrd’s come-from-behind victory should be no surprise. This was the third consecutive week where the 54-hole leader failed to convert their lead. Three weeks ago, Tom Pernice Jr. struggled and shot a 3-over par 75 on Sunday. And last week Stuart Appleby’s final round collapse was well documented when he shot a 6-over 76 to finish six strokes behind KJ Choi at the AT&T National.
54-hole leader Nathan Green played a stagnant 4th round. He could not get any positive momentum going as he shot an even par 71 and finish a tie for third at 15-under par with Troy Matteson.
Early on it looked like Clark was the man to beat. He went out in fine form, carding a four-under par 31 to grab the lead from 54-hole leader Nathan Green.
But Clark could not continue his front nine mojo. A distinct possibility for his late round downfall could stem from his nagging neck problems. Clark received cortisone shots for his neck two weeks ago but maybe they started to wear off as Clark looked to stiffen up down the stretch.
Byrd’s third career victory places him on top of the list of wins for Americans under the age of 30. Charles Howell III is now in second with two wins.
Next week the PGA Tour travels overseas to play at Carnoustie for the British Open. Check-in with hookedongolf.com for extended coverage of the major.
