English "Winning Birdie in 8th Overtime Match"... Lee Kyung-hoon "What Happened to 10 Over Par?"

Travelers Championship Final Day: Hickok Defeats, Watson Tied 19th, Defending Champ Johnson Tied 25th

Harris English is cheering after sinking the winning birdie in the 8th playoff hole on the final day of the Travelers Championship. Cromwell, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] It was a dramatic playoff victory for Harris English.

On the 28th (Korean time) at River Highlands TPC in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA (par 70, 6,841 yards), the final day of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship (total prize money $7.4 million) ended with English shooting 5 under par to tie for the lead (13 under par, 267 strokes). After a grueling battle that extended to the 8th playoff hole against Kramer Hickok (both from the USA), he finally claimed the winner’s trophy. This marks his second win of the 2021 season and his fourth career victory, coming five months after the Sentry Tournament in January, with a winner’s prize of $1,332,000 (1.5 billion KRW).

English started tied for 6th place, two strokes behind, and recorded six birdies and one bogey. He opened the scoring early with a birdie on the first hole (par 4), then steadily added birdies on holes 5, 8, 13, and 16. Although a bogey on the 17th hole (par 3) was disappointing, he recovered with a birdie on the final 18th hole (par 4). Despite missing the green seven times, his brilliant short game preserved his score. He relied on an average of 1.45 putts per hole, showcasing his precise putting.

The playoff against Hickok was an intense, nerve-wracking duel. They repeatedly went back and forth between the 18th and 17th holes (par 4), escaping crises while moments of winning birdies narrowly missed the hole. English ultimately sealed the victory with a 4-meter birdie on the eighth playoff hole, resumed at the 18th. This is the second longest playoff in PGA Tour history; Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff played 11 playoff holes at the 1949 Motor City Open, which ended in a tie.

The eight-hole playoff has occurred five times, most recently in the 2012 Mayakoba Classic between John Huh (USA) and Robert Allenby (Australia). Locally, attention was drawn to the fact that Hickok, tied for the lead after three rounds, was a roommate with Jordan Spieth on the University of Texas golf team. Friends including Valspar Championship winner Sam Burns cheered him on, but he fell short by a “2%.” Another co-leader, Bubba Watson, lost three strokes and finished tied for 19th place (7 under par, 273 strokes).

Defending champion Dustin Johnson (USA) faltered with 1 over par, finishing tied for 25th place (6 under par, 274 strokes). From Korea, Lee Kyung-hoon (30, CJ Logistics) dropped from tied 6th to tied 73rd place (2 over par, 282 strokes) after struggling with 10 over par. He made only two birdies, but had seven bogeys, one double bogey, and one triple bogey, resulting in his worst performance. His iron shot green hit rate was 44.44%, and his average putts rose to 2.0 per hole. He bowed his head after recording his first score in the 80s since joining the PGA Tour.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.