The Daily Wrap-up, Round 4: Verizon Heritage
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) -- Brian Gay put on a record-setting show at the Verizon Heritage. And this time, he didn't have to share the spotlight with anyone.
Gay shot a 7-under 64 Sunday to win at Harbour Town Golf Links by an astounding 10 shots. He broke the 13-year-old scoring record, finishing at 20-under 264 on the way to his second PGA TOUR victory. He picked up 500 FedExCup points for the win and is now seventh in the standings.
"Just another unbelievable day," Gay said.
There have been many of them in the last two years for the former Florida Gator, who remains the only player to win two Southeastern Conference championships.
But finding golf success has been a struggle for the 37-year-old, who did not break through for his first win until his 293rd start in February 2008 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico.
That triumph, however, came the same weekend that Tiger Woods finished off the field at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
"Yeah, it's a bit of validation," Gay said.
And perhaps one of the PGA TOUR's more dominating performances.
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AFTER SECOND WIN, GAY SAYS HE'S A DIFFERENT PLAYER
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- It took Brian Gay a long time to get a taste of the winner's circle. Now it appears the old boy may be ready for a regular seat at the table.
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It took Gay only two holes Sunday to answer the doubters who were waiting to see if he could hold a three-shot lead on the final day of the Verizon Heritage. Quicker than you can say birdie-eagle, Gay's lead had risen to six and the CBS exit polls had declared him the winner.
The former University of Florida star doggedly hung onto the lead, continued to press his advantage and quickly removed any potential drama at Harbour Town. Alas, there is no mercy rule in golf, otherwise Gay would have had them tapping out by mid-afternoon.
"But it's never as easy as it looks," Gay said.
He wound up shooting a 64, which gave him a 10-stroke win over a strong field. His 20-under 264 total broke the tournament record set by Loren Roberts in 1996. His margin of victory was three shots better than the tournament record established by Davis Love III in 1998. And his victory was the first double-digit triumph on the PGA TOUR since Phil Mickelson won the 2006 BellSouth Classic by 13 shots.
"It was just an unbelievable day," said Gay, who never peeked at a leader board all day to check on his standing. "I told myself to keep my head down and keep plugging away."
Luke Donald and Briny Baird shared the consolation prize, but neither got closer than six shots all day. Gay was so dominant that he even got a free pass for wearing a pair of day-glo green pants; it was his last good outfit in the closet, he said. But when you make 57-footers for eagle, as Gay did on the second hole, anything can become fashionable.
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| Five other notables at Verizon Heritage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sunday's Best |
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The 502-yard par-5 second hole was easiest with a Sunday scoring average of 4.449.
The 200-yard par-3 fourth was toughest with a Sunday scoring average of 3.295.
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You have to see this shot to believe it. Todd Hamilton hits the greenside railroad ties in the bunker of the 13th hole and still makes par. 
Brian Gay began the final round in the lead and he didn't let up as he made six birdies, an eagle and a bogey for the low round of the day. | QUOTE OF THE DAY | ||||||||||
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INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
PGA TOUR Network correspondent Bob Stevens offers these observations from Sunday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.
I had the opportunity to speak to most of the leaders before the final round within about an hour of their tee times. Lee Janzen was understandibly a little nervous, Todd Hamilton was quiet and determined, Tim Wilkinson was hopeful. Brian Gay was undoubtedly the most calm and cool just 30 minutes before beginning his winning trek around Harbour Town, even saying he was "looking forward to the day" with a twinkle in his eye. He must have known something.
Briny Baird, who tied for second, told me afterward that he looked at the scoreboard only once. After seeing that Gay had birdied the first hole and eagled the second, he knew the chase for first was over. He deemed his experiment with the belly putter a success and promised he'd keep it, at least through the plane flight home and the week off next week.
Not one of the top-10 finishers is considered a bomber, by any means, but when it comes to shooting a record low at Harbour Town, its all about the flat stick. The tournament record low score set by Loren Roberts, the famed "Boss of the Moss" back in 1996 (19-under par), lasted for 13 years until Gay's record-setting performance this week. He'd finished 7th, 6th and 3rd in putting the last three years on TOUR and was 3rd in the field this week with just 101 putts. Curiously, he was "only" 59th in putting this season, a number that'll get a whole lot better next week.
FOURTH-ROUND NOTEBOOK: VERIZON HERITAGE
By John Bush, PGA TOUR Staff
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Brian Gay posted a 7-under 64 (the round of the day) on Sunday to finish at 20-under 264, cruising to the 2009 Verizon Heritage title by 10 strokes over Luke Donald (66) and Briny Baird (68). The victory is the second of Gay's career (2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic) and comes in his 330th career start on the PGA TOUR.
• Gay's 264 winning score breaks the previous scoring record at the Verizon Heritage, which was set by Loren Roberts in 1996 (19-under 265). The 10-stroke winning margin is also a tournament record, besting Davis Love III's seven-stroke win in 1998.
• Gay managed just two bogeys (No. 10 in the second round, No. 12 in the fourth round) this week at Harbour Town -- the fewest at the Verizon Heritage since 1983. The previous low during that time was three, set by Roberts in 1996.
• Gay's 10-stroke victory is the largest on the PGA TOUR since Phil Mickelson won the 2006 BellSouth Classic by 13 strokes. His win is the ninth in TOUR history (dating back to 1970 when records begin) with a double-digit winning margin.
• Gay's victory comes in his 10th start at Harbour Town, with four made cuts (tied for 42nd in 2001, tied for ninth in 2006, tied for 16th in 2007, won in 2009). In 2009, he has notched 10 made cuts in 11 starts, with three top-10 finishes (won at Verizon Heritage, tied for fifth at Sony Open in Hawaii, tied for sixth at FBR Open). The victory is worth 500 points and moves the Fort Worth, Texas, native from No. 29 to No. 7 on the FedExCup points list (927). Geoff Ogilvy retains the lead, with 1,350 points.
To read the remainder of this story, click here.
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KODAK CHALLENGE: The first-of-its-kind competition for PGA TOUR players continues at the Verizon Heritage.
The Kodak Challenge celebrates beautiful holes and memorable moments on the PGA TOUR. The Kodak Challenge offers $1 million to the winner. There will be one designated Kodak Challenge Hole at 24 different PGA TOUR tournaments in 2009, with this week's featured hole the 411-yard par-4 18th.
Players, who must play at least 18 of the holes during the season to be eligible, will count their lowest score relative to par on the Kodak Challenge Hole made during an official competition round. The player, with the lowest cumulative score in relation to par at the end of the challenge, wins.
• For more on the Kodak Challenge, click here.
| This week's Kodak Challenge hole | |||
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| This week at the Kodak Challenge hole | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Round-by-round statistics on the par-4 18th at Harbour Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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