Ireland’s Seamus Power parred the sixth playoff hole on Sunday to defeat American J.T. Poston and win the Barbasol Championship for his first career US PGA title.
The 34-year-old Irishman, whose best prior tour showing had been a share of fifth, lipped out for birdie and tapped in for par at the par-4 18th after Poston made bogey. “It has been a bit of a struggle of a season, but this changes everything for me,” Power said. “I couldn’t be more proud. It’s unbelievable.”
World number 210 Power and 108th-ranked Poston each finished 72 holes on 21-under par 267 at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Power birdied two of the last three holes to shoot five-under 67 while Poston made double bogey at the par-5 15th and a bogey at the par-3 16th to stumble into the playoff with a 70. The playoff began at the par-4 18th, where Power chipped in from the fringe for birdie and Poston rolled in a birdie putt from just outside 10 feet to extend matters. Both parred 18 on the second playoff hole and then parred the par-3 ninth on the third and fourth extra holes, sending the playoff back to 18, where both parred the fifth extra hole. On the sixth, Poston’s drive bounced into water and his approach landed in greenside rough while Power was on the green in two. Poston missed his chip and made bogey while Power two-putted for the title.
India’s Anirban Lahiri shared third on 268 with American Sam Ryder after each shot 65 on Sunday. Most of the world’s top golfers played this week at the British Open, where American Collin Morikawa won his second major title. Poston missed the cut in four of his past six starts but also produced his top major finish, sharing 40th at the US Open last month at Torrey Pines. American Luke List, who began the day one stroke off Poston’s pace, made bogeys on three of the first six holes to stumble out of contention.
Poston birdied the par-3 second after landing his tee shot within five feet of the hole, then sank a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-5 fifth. After making a bogey at the sixth, Poston answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-4 seventh. Great approaches set up birdie putts from within four feet at the par-5 eighth and 11th holes to put Poston on 24-under with a four-stroke lead. But Poston went out of bounds left off the tee at the par-5 15th and made double bogey, then made a three-putt bogey at the par-3 16th to stumble back to 21-under. Power, meanwhile, made a 14-foot birdie putt at the 16th and sank a three-footer to birdie the 18th in shooting a 67 to reach 21-under in the clubhouse and the American closed with back-to-back pars to force the playoff.