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Villegas claims Tour Championship
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Colombian Camilo Villegas came from five strokes behind to clinch his second successive US PGA Tour victory by beating Sergio Garcia in a playoff for the season-ending Tour Championship.
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The long-haired Villegas, who claimed his maiden title at the BMW Championship three weeks ago, parred the first extra hole at East Lake Golf Club to earn the winner's cheque for $1.26 million (£688,478).
Spaniard Garcia, who held a three-shot lead going into the final round, bogeyed the par-three 18th after missing the green to the right and hitting his second shot into tangly rough.
The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes on seven-under-par 273, Villegas firing an eight-birdie 66 and Garcia closing with a 71.
"It's unbelievable," Villegas, 26, said in a greenside interview after winning the last of the four lucrative playoff events. "I'm proud of myself and my caddie."
The muscular Colombian appeared to have wrecked his victory bid when he double-bogeyed the par-three sixth after dumping his tee shot into water and also bogeyed the seventh.
However, he caught fire from the eighth, rattling up six birdies in the next 10 holes.
"Man, I was proud of myself after that," Villegas said.
Garcia, bidding for his eighth PGA Tour victory and second of the season, rued his poor start.
"I just didn't play well enough today," he said after hitting only five out of 14 fairways. "I doubted myself too much early on and it cost me.
"When I started getting it back a little bit, it was just a little too late and unfortunately just hit a bad shot on the playoff. That's what it is."
American world number two Phil Mickelson, the highest-ranked player in the elite field of 30, had a chance of joining the playoff but narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt at the last.
The left-hander tapped in his par putt for a 69 and a share of third place at six under with compatriot Anthony Kim (69).
Garcia began the final round with a commanding three-stroke advantage but bogeyed the fourth and seventh to drop back into a tie for the lead with Mickelson and Kim after nine holes.
The tournament came alive on the back nine with a barrage of birdies and wild fluctuations at the top of the leaderboard.
Kim rolled in a 20-footer at the par-three 11th to briefly forge one ahead before being caught by the red-hot Villegas, who reeled off five birdies in six holes from the eighth.
After narrowly missing a nine-foot birdie putt at the 13th to regain the outright lead, Kim slipped back with a bogey at the 14th where he overhit the green with his approach and duffed his chip.
Mickelson, who had three-putted to bogey the 11th, rammed in a 16-footer at the 13th and also birdied the par-five 15th to join Villegas and Garcia in a tie for the lead.
Garcia had collected his first birdie of the day at the 12th, coaxing in a 17-footer, before picking up another shot at the 15th to get to seven under.
Villegas and Mickelson both faltered with bogeys at the 16th but the Colombian recovered when he struck his approach to 11 feet at the 17th and calmly holed the birdie putt.
Both Villegas and Garcia parred the last to take the tournament into a playoff.
Reuters
More StoriesScorecard
The long-haired Villegas, who claimed his maiden title at the BMW Championship three weeks ago, parred the first extra hole at East Lake Golf Club to earn the winner's cheque for $1.26 million (£688,478).
Spaniard Garcia, who held a three-shot lead going into the final round, bogeyed the par-three 18th after missing the green to the right and hitting his second shot into tangly rough.
The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes on seven-under-par 273, Villegas firing an eight-birdie 66 and Garcia closing with a 71.
"It's unbelievable," Villegas, 26, said in a greenside interview after winning the last of the four lucrative playoff events. "I'm proud of myself and my caddie."
The muscular Colombian appeared to have wrecked his victory bid when he double-bogeyed the par-three sixth after dumping his tee shot into water and also bogeyed the seventh.
However, he caught fire from the eighth, rattling up six birdies in the next 10 holes.
"Man, I was proud of myself after that," Villegas said.
Garcia, bidding for his eighth PGA Tour victory and second of the season, rued his poor start.
"I just didn't play well enough today," he said after hitting only five out of 14 fairways. "I doubted myself too much early on and it cost me.
"When I started getting it back a little bit, it was just a little too late and unfortunately just hit a bad shot on the playoff. That's what it is."
American world number two Phil Mickelson, the highest-ranked player in the elite field of 30, had a chance of joining the playoff but narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt at the last.
The left-hander tapped in his par putt for a 69 and a share of third place at six under with compatriot Anthony Kim (69).
Garcia began the final round with a commanding three-stroke advantage but bogeyed the fourth and seventh to drop back into a tie for the lead with Mickelson and Kim after nine holes.
The tournament came alive on the back nine with a barrage of birdies and wild fluctuations at the top of the leaderboard.
Kim rolled in a 20-footer at the par-three 11th to briefly forge one ahead before being caught by the red-hot Villegas, who reeled off five birdies in six holes from the eighth.
After narrowly missing a nine-foot birdie putt at the 13th to regain the outright lead, Kim slipped back with a bogey at the 14th where he overhit the green with his approach and duffed his chip.
Mickelson, who had three-putted to bogey the 11th, rammed in a 16-footer at the 13th and also birdied the par-five 15th to join Villegas and Garcia in a tie for the lead.
Garcia had collected his first birdie of the day at the 12th, coaxing in a 17-footer, before picking up another shot at the 15th to get to seven under.
Villegas and Mickelson both faltered with bogeys at the 16th but the Colombian recovered when he struck his approach to 11 feet at the 17th and calmly holed the birdie putt.
Both Villegas and Garcia parred the last to take the tournament into a playoff.
Reuters