Cameron Beckman defeated Kevin Sutherland on the second playoff hole to not only win the Frys.com Open, but also assure his place on the PGA Tour for the next two years. 

Mr. Beckman began the week 176th on the money list and prepared to head to Q School. “I honestly was just trying to finish in the top 150 so I’d get to the (qualifying school) finals.”  But finding himself four shots behind Mr. Sutherland beginning the back nine didn’t seem to bring any added pressure.  He calmly made birdies on five of the next seven holes, finally catching Mr. Sutherland when he missed a six and a half foot putt on the 16th hole for his first bogey in 53 holes. 

Mr. Sutherland had a chance to win in regulation, but missed his thirteen foot birdie putt by about an inch on the 18th hole.  On the first playoff hole Mr. Sutherland once again missed an opportunity to win when his putt from 9 feet failed to drop.  On the second playoff hole Mr. Sutherland hit his 5 iron from the middle of the fairway beyond the cartpath right of the hole and into the waste area from which he had zero chance of hitting the green.  Mr. Beckman hit his second shot six and a half feet away and easily two putted for the victory. 

This is Mr. Beckman’s first victory in seven years and his second over all.  He won the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in 2001.  “I don’t know, I just had a calmness about me this week, and it just happened,” Beckman said. “…It’s just like the last time I won. It just kind of happened. It’s strange. I don’t know what it is.”  Hard to disagree with that assessment after watching his final round 63.  He made a lot of putts look very easy, and nerves did not appear to be an issue as he played at the same pace the entire day. “It’s just been a tough year,” Beckman said. “I honestly was thinking about quitting the game. That’s how bad I felt. I can’t explain to you how good I feel right now. I don’t know what it was and why I did it, but I just felt good all day.”  Eight weeks missed due to a bad back will make almost anyone want to quit.  It’s certainly no fun playing when you can’t swing properly. 

For Mr. Sutherland this was his second playoff loss this year.  And for a guy who’s never won a stroke play event (his only win being the World Match Play Championships) that has too be tough.  “I feel good about how I played. A second-place finish is nothing to sneeze at,” Sutherland said, “but right now it’s a little hard to see that through the disappointment.”  Shooting a final round 66 isn’t what I’d consider folding under pressure.  He just didn’t putt very well today, missing every putt outside 10 feet on the day.  “This one seems a little harder than Barclays for some reason,” Sutherland said. “I had a nice lead on the back side, and it was really nothing that I did wrong. I guess the bogey on 16 hurt. But Cameron played terrific.”  Actually the bogey on 16 was the one that cost him the victory.  Or was it those putts that didn’t drop the final two times he played the 18th?  I’m thinking it just wasn’t Mr. Sutherland’s day and that he should be proud of putting himself into a position to win for the second time this year. 

Again this week I noticed the galleries were small.  Then I discovered that ticket sales are limited so that the folks who do attend get to be more up close and personal with the players.  It must help make up for the lack of star power in the field.  Or something like that.  In the end, despite the fact that players like Mr. Beckman are playing for their jobs, the golf is just not very compelling compared to a game between the Steelers and the Giants.  I want to personally thank the person who invented the remote control, cause I’d never get up and flip the channels manually as many times as I swapped back and forth today.  Two more weeks and the Fall Series thankfully ends.  By Christmas I’ll be ready for the Mercedes and the promise of a new year.