Bernhard Langer tops Paul Goydos, Thongchai Jaidee by 6 shots in taking TimberTech Championship
BOCA RATON — Bernhard Langer, who began the final day of the TimberTech Championship with a one-shot lead over Paul Goydos, shot a bogey-free, 6-under 66 Sunday at Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club for a six-shot win over Goydos and Thongchai Jaidee.
The Boca Raton resident, 65, who followed his opening 70 on Friday with a course-record 63 on Saturday, posted a 17-under 199 total for his 44th career title on the PGA Tour Champions, which earned him $350,000.
“Today I played very solid, hit a couple of irons very close, tap-in birdies basically and played almost flawless golf, to the point where I just didn’t put myself into any trouble,” Langer said.
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On Friday, Langer said he struggled with the strong winds and with reading the greens. He switched to an old putter Saturday, read the greens better and had just 21 putts.
He used the putter again Sunday – “Why would I change after the course record?” – and rolled in birdie putts on the third and fourth holes to keep pace with and then go ahead of Goydos. He added birdies on 10 and 11 to take a four-shot lead over Goydos and left no doubt about his victory with birdies at 15 and 16.
Goydos, who opened with rounds of 68 and 66, put pressure on Langer early, but double-bogeyed the par-3 fifth hole and watched Langer pull away. Goydos finished with a 1-under 71 for a 205. Jaidee, a 52-year-old native of Thailand, closed with a bogey-free 67 to go with rounds of 70 and 68.
“I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens,” said Jaidee, who had four birdies on the back nine Sunday. “The whole week I had only two bogeys. I putted well and holed quite a few putts like 12 feet, 13 feet.”
Padraig Harrington shot rounds of 72-67-67 to finish fourth at 206. Kevin Sutherland was fifth at 208 on rounds of 74-66-68. Defending champion Steven Alker tied for sixth with Robert Karlsson at 7-under 209.
Goydos, who was paired in the final group with Langer and Rod Pampling, birdied the par-5 first hole to tie Langer at 11 under and matched birdies with him on the par-4 third to remain tied at 12 under. Langer birdied the par-4 fourth to get to 13 under.
The key to Langer’s victory came on the fifth hole. Langer got up and down from a greenside bunker for his par. Goydos missed the green left and his chip came up short of the green. His next chip ran across and almost off the green, and he missed his long bogey putt to drop to 10 under.
“That was definitely a turning point for both of us, I think,” Langer said. “He never came close again, within three shots, which is a nice cushion to have. The last few holes, I just played them kind of what I call cautiously aggressive where you don’t go for every flag, you just hit them to the middle of the green and put the pressure on the other guy to produce something.”
Goydos said he started well on Sunday but then ...
“(I) kind of made a mess of the fifth hole and wasn’t able to put even remotely any pressure on him,” Goydos said. “When you give him the opportunity to just hit it in the fairway and hit it to 20 feet and try to make a 20-footer, he’s going to beat you to death, and he did it.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Bernhard Langer wins TimberTech Championship 44th PGA Tour Champions title
