Hicks earns first win by beating Wittenberg in one-hole playoff
COLLINGWOOD, Ontario, Canada – While “The Great One” served capably as the Nationwide Tour’s host this week, it was Justin Hicks who was the greatest the past four days at the inaugural Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic.A final-round 2-under 69 propelled Hicks to 16-under 269 at the end of regulation and into a playoff with third-round leader Casey Wittenberg (70). A two-putt for par on the first extra hole was all that was needed to give Hicks his first career win.
“I don’t know if I can put this into words,” said the 33-year-old native of Wyandotte, MI. “I grew up playing hockey for about five or six years before I quit to take up golf. To be able to win the Tournament hosted by the greatest player to ever skate on ice is such an honor and something I’ll never forget.”
Karma was on Hicks’ side all week. After registering earlier in the week and checking into his locker at the par-71 Georgian Bay Club – he couldn’t believe his luck when he looked up and saw that his locker was No. 99 – a number which needs no explanation for hockey and sports enthusiasts around the world.
“I couldn’t have been happier when I looked up and saw that my locker was No. 99,” said Hicks. “I didn’t say anything to anyone until today because I didn’t want to jinx anything.”
Hicks gained national notoriety a couple of weeks ago when he was the unlikely leader at the U.S. Open Championship at Torrey Pines. While the end result (T74) wasn’t what he had hoped for, he gained valuable experience that was used in his come-from-behind victory on Sunday.
“As nervous as I was today, if I wouldn’t have gone through what I did at Torrey Pines I would have been a mess today,” said Hicks. “During the first round after 10 or 11 holes, I had about 100 or 200 cameras clicking every time I swung the club. When all is said and done, you can a certain amount of confidence when you put yourself in those positions … no matter the outcome. It shows that guys out on the Nationwide Tour are certainly capable of being some of the best players in the world.”
For most of the day Sunday, the victory seemed destined to land in Wittenberg’s pocket. A bogey on the 17th hole by Wittenberg – combined with a birdie by Hicks – led to a two-shot swing and the opening that Hicks needed.
“Casey played really good golf this week and it just shows you this can be a really cruel game,” said Hicks. “I just kept trying to put it in my head on the back nine that it only takes one putt to swing the momentum.”
With the victory, Hicks collects a career-best $144,017 to jump all the way from No. 160 to No. 13 on the official money list. With $152,481, he now moves a step closer to earning a spot among “The 25” who will earn PGA Tour cards for the 2009 season. But he seemed just as excited about guaranteeing full status on the Nationwide Tour through the 2009 season.
“Golf is challenging when you can’t make your schedule,” said Hicks, who began the season with conditional status. “This gives me job security. I’ve qualified for two U.S. Opens in my career but only one Bank of America Open. That shows how competitive it is in professional golf.”
While Hicks topped the 160-man field this week, it was the stars of the sporting world who garnered most of the attention this week in the Blue Mountains. Among the celebrities and Hall of Famers participating were Mark Messier (NHL), Charles Barkley (NBA) and John Elway (NFL), just to name a few. Without a doubt, however, it was a pleased Tournament host Gretzky who was the main attraction at the first-year event.
“For our first year, we are ecstatic about getting this Tournament off the ground,” said Gretzky. “We are very pleased with what we accomplished in the first year. It will only get better and better from here on out.”
Final Round News & Notes: Gibby Gilbert III, with the exception of Saturday’s rain-soaked round, has now played in flip flops the last two weeks after finding them to his liking during practice sessions in between the Rex Hospital Open and the Knoxville Open. It seems to be working, following up a T42 finish in Tennessee with a T5 this week … Garrett Osborn (62) and Peter Tomasulo (63) turned in the rounds of the day nearly three hours before the final group walked up the 18th fairway. Both players held the clubhouse lead at 15-under 270 until Hicks stole the show later in the afternoon … The team of Colt Knost and Brett Hull were victorious in the professional/celebrity competition with a 50-under 235 total, while Kyle Reifers and Tom Turner won the professional/amateur competition at 46-under 239 … Cumulative course averages for the week: par-71 Georgian Bay Club (70.239) and the par-72 Raven Golf Club at Lora Bay (69.582) … The Nationwide Tour will take a week off before heading to West Virginia for the inaugural Nationwide Tour Players Cup – the first $1,000,000 event in Tour history.
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