Locker Edges Gillespie in Playoff at Greater Toronto Open
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:43:42
The 30-year-old fired a final-round 4-under 67 for a 72 hole total of 14-under 270 before defeating Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, ON in the playoff. Canadian Rookie of the Year David Hearn (Brantford, ON) was third at 10-under 274, while Americans Aaron Barber and Steve Scott wound up five shots off the lead.
Locker, who began the day in second spot four shots behind Gillespie, chipped at the lead all day before finally pulling even on the 11th hole. Gillespie regained a two shot edge before Locker forced the playoff with an 18 foot birdie putt on the final hole. Needing to sink a ten footer to win in regulation, Gillespie pushed the par attempt just by the hole.
On the first extra hole, Gillespie's birdie chip from the fringe came to within a foot of the pin before Locker dropped the winning putt. "I wasn't even thinking about winning the golf tournament until the putt on 18 (in regulation)", admitted Locker following his first Tour triumph. "I just wanted to play a solid round to prove to myself I belong out here. To be honest, I though Derek was going to make his putt and win it."
After trying to claw his way back into the tournament all afternoon, Locker had a feeling that things may turn out in his favour when he holed the putt to force the playoff.
"I knew when that putt when in that the game was on. I didn't have a whole lot to play for this weekend, but I sensed something good was going to happen. I thought it might be my day."
For Gillespie, Sunday was a bitter end to what was otherwise a brilliant season. With his $14,400 payday, Gillespie finished third on the money list with $73,869. But had he been able to hang on for the win, Gillespie would have passed Jeff Quinney for second spot and would have been exempted into the second stage of PGA Tour Qualifying. Instead, Quinney and Order of Merit winner Hank Kuehne will get the exemption.
"This is probably the most disappointing moment I've ever had in golf," said Gillespie. "It was there for the taking, and I let it get away. But that's golf and I'll take it as a lesson learned."
Scores and earnings Sunday after the final round of the Canadian Tour's $150,000 Greater Toronto Open played at the 6722-yard, par-71 Mandarin G&CC:
1 Locker, Chris Columbia, SC 71-68-64-67_270 -14 $24,000.00
2 Gillespie, Derek Oshawa, ON 65-68-66-71_270 -14 $14,400.00
3 Hearn, David Brantford, ON 70-69-66-69_274 -10 $9,000.00
T 4 Barber, Aaron Minneapolis, MN 68-71-67-69_275 -9 $6,600.00
T 4 Scott, Steve Royal Palm Beach, FL 70-69-67-69_275 -9 $6,600.00
T 6 Faught, David South Africa 69-69-66-73_277 -7 $5,000.00
T 6 Hamilton, Robert Carmichael, CA 66-72-67-72_277 -7 $5,000.00
T 6 Woodard, Stephen Charlotte, NC 68-73-69-67_277 -7 $5,000.00
T 9 Christensen, Dave Elk River, MN 73-68-68-69_278 -6 $4,050.00
T 9 Kirk, Michael South Africa 65-72-71-70_278 -6 $4,050.00
T 9 Payne, Brian Chicago, IL 69-69-72-68_278 -6 $4,050.00
T 12 Abbott, Matthew Endwell, NY 72-67-72-68_279 -5 $3,037.50
T 12 Harris, Michael Troy, MI 71-72-66-70_279 -5 $3,037.50
T 12 Howser, David Cordova, TN 69-68-71-71_279 -5 $3,037.50
T 12 Scaletta, Paul Richmond, VA 71-71-65-72_279 -5 $3,037.50
T 16 Bohn, Jason Atlanta, GA 72-71-67-70_280 -4 $2,187.50
T 16 Johnson, Rob Terre Haute, IN 71-68-68-73_280 -4 $2,187.50
T 16 Pettitt, Ben Coral Springs, FL 71-71-65-73_280 -4 $2,187.50
T 16 Tiziani, Mario Chanhassen, MN 70-72-64-74_280 -4 $2,187.50
T 16 Welder, Jamie Calgary, AB 67-73-68-72_280 -4 $2,187.50
T 16 Wright, Bryan Stanberry, MO 71-68-71-70_280 -4 $2,187.50
22 Wollmann, Chris Strongsville, OH 70-69-71-71_281 -3 $1,800.00
T 23 Fukushima, Kent Grande Prairie, AB 70-70-70-72_282 -2 $1,545.00
T 23 Grob, Mike Billings, MT 71-64-72-75_282 -2 $1,545.00
T 23 Harrison, Roger Calgary, AB 69-74-69-70_282 -2 $1,545.00
T 23 LaBelle, Doug Mt. Pleasant, MI 71-72-69-70_282 -2 $1,545.00
T 23 McKenzie, David Australia 67-73-65-77_282 -2 $1,545.00
T 23 Riedel, Dennis St. Clair, MI 71-69-67-75_282 -2 $1,545.00
T 29 DeCorso, Bryan Guelph, ON 70-71-69-73_283 -1 $1,246.50
T 29 Doohan, Todd Sarnia, ON 71-69-69-74_283 -1 $1,246.50
T 29 Hinds, Jerry Orillia, ON 66-73-70-74_283 -1 $1,246.50
T 29 McMillan, Rob Winnipeg, MB 67-75-65-76_283 -1 $1,246.50
T 29 Nelson, Birk Portland, OR 72-70-68-73_283 -1 $1,246.50
T 34 Drewery, Jonn Cambridge, ON 68-70-72-74_284 0 $1,068.75
T 34 Parry, Bryn North Vancouver, BC 69-74-70-71_284 0 $1,068.75
T 34 Price, Martin Collingwood, ON 69-68-74-73_284 0 $1,068.75
T 34 Rutledge, Jim Victoria, BC 67-70-72-75_284 0 $1,068.75
T 38 Jonas, Philip Vancouver, BC 70-73-71-71_285 1 $881.25
T 38 Marseilles, Craig Maple, ON 74-68-67-76_285 1 $881.25
T 38 McGuigan, Doug Langley, BC 70-73-73-69_285 1 $881.25
T 38 Quiroz, Alex Mexico 68-73-72-72_285 1 $881.25
T 38 Ray, Conrad Hilton Head, SC 68-68-78-71_285 1 $881.25
T 38 Warner, Jarrod Phoenix, AZ 66-70-76-73_285 1 $881.25
T 44 Belbin, Mike Sherwood Park, AB 69-69-72-76_286 2 $699.00
T 44 Paniccia, Danny Fresno, CA 68-73-73-72_286 2 $699.00
T 44 Steel, Iain Malaysia 72-71-72-71_286 2 $699.00
T 44 Unk, Brian Cuyahoga Falls, OH 70-73-70-73_286 2 $699.00
T 44 Veress, Zoltan Kitchener, ON 67-72-71-76_286 2 $699.00
T 49 Buttar, Blair Leduc, AB 70-72-70-75_287 3 $622.50
T 49 Johnson, Andy Orlando, FL 70-71-72-74_287 3 $622.50
T 51 Devenport, Paul New Zealand 71-72-67-78_288 4 $585.00
T 51 Martin, Wes Calgary, AB 71-72-72-73_288 4 $585.00
T 51 Zwemke, Zane Aurora, CO 71-72-73-72_288 4 $585.00
T 54 Hood, Scott Aurora, ON 71-71-71-76_289 5 $541.00
T 54 McCann, Brian Mississauga, ON 72-71-71-75_289 5 $541.00
T 54 Valentin, Jerome France 72-71-72-74_289 5 $541.00
T 57 Gentry, Brian Tahoe City, CA 73-70-72-75_290 6 $510.00
T 57 Smith, Neale Australia 74-69-74-73_290 6 $510.00
T 59 Ford, Scott Lake Worth, FL 74-69-69-79_291 7 $393.00
T 59 Heffernan, Wes Calgary, AB 72-71-73-75_291 7 $393.00
T 59 Pelczarski, Daniel Pittsburgh, PA 69-71-76-75_291 7 $393.00
T 59 Sutterfield, Brad St. George, UT 72-70-71-78_291 7 $393.00
63 Mackenzie, Will Greenville, NC 67-74-75-76_292 8 $300.00
T 64 Corral, Jorge Mexico 73-69-77-77_296 12 $300.00
T 64 Lee, Eddy Corona, CA 69-74-71-82_296 12 $300.00
T 66 Anderson, Stuart Ft. McMurray, AB 73-66-80-78_297 13 $300.00
T 66 Duke, Ken Boca Raton, FL 66-76-72-83_297 13 $300.00
T 66 Enloe, Jason Dallas, TX 71-72-71-83_297 13 $300.00
69 Belbin, Chad Kamloops, BC 74-68-79-77_298 14 $300.00
70 Bock, Duane Morganton, NC 74-68-78-80_300 16 $300.00"
