Final-round notebook – Buick Open
* Dudley Hart tied for ninth this week – his fourth top-10 finish in 15 starts this year. Hart’s four top-10s are the most he’s had in a single year since he had five in 2001. Interestingly, Hart’s fourth top-10 in 2001 was a T4 in his 21st start – also the Buick Open. * With his paycheck Sunday of $135,000, Dudley Hart pushes his season money total over the $1M mark. His season total of $1,133,063 is just $136,868 off his single-year best of $1,269,931 in 1991.
* Woody Austin did a better job of solving the front nine Sunday. Austin posted a 2-under 34 on the opening nine. He finished the week with scores of 34-37-37-34 on the front for a 2-under total/5 birdies and 3 bogeys. He played the back nine in 16-under with 1 eagle, 16 birdies and two bogeys. His two bogeys came on his final two holes Sunday, at Nos. 17 and 18. Austin was at 20-under par and led by one shot before the closing two bogeys. He finished T2, one shot back of winner Kenny Perry.
* John Rollins posted a final-round 65 to finish at 15-under par and tie for ninth. Rollins had an up-and-down week with scores of 72-64-72-65. It’s his first top-10 finish in 18 starts this year. His 65 is also his best final-round score since an 8-under 63 at the 2007 FBR Open, where he finished second.
* John Rollins has enjoyed his two best weeks of the year in terms of Driving Accuracy. Rollins hit a season-best 53 of 72 fairways (73.61%) at last week’s Travelers Championship. This week, Rollins topped that by hitting 58 of 72 (80.6%) en route to his best finish of the year.
* Rookie Kevin Streelman has put together his two best weeks now. The 29-year old Duke grad has jumped from No. 140 on the FedExCup points list to No. 111 in that period. Streelman tied for tenth at last week’s Travelers Championship and tied for 12th this week.
* Jim Furyk shot a final-round 71 Sunday, increasing his par-or-better streak at the Buick Open to 41 consecutive rounds. Furyk posted scores of 68-72-71-71 and wound up T36, matching his lowest finish(1994) in his 14 years at Warwick Hills G&CC. Furyk has now posted par-or-better scores in 55 of his 56 rounds (98.21%) at the Buick Open. His only hiccup was a third-round 75 in 1997.
* Third-round leader Daniel Chopra fell out of contention early Sunday with bogeys on four of his first seven holes. By the time he made the turn with a 4-over-par 40, he was 12-under par and six shots back of leader Kenny Perry. Chopra hit only 2 of 7 fairways on the opening nine and had 17 total putts. He shot a 75 and wound up T17. Chopra’s errant tee shots finally caught up with him. He came into the week ranked No. 181 in Driving Accuracy (54.00%) and was leading the Tournament after three rounds despite only 17 of 42 fairways.
* Robert Garrigus shot a final-round 65 and moved up to finish T17, his best effort of the year. Garrigus had made the cut in just seven of his 16 starts this year with a T23 at the Verizon Heritage his top finish.
* Bob Tway carded a 7-under-65 Sunday to finish at 17-under par and T4. His 7-under score was his best final round in relation to par since a 7-under 64 at the 2001 Greater Milwaukee Open. His T3 finish is also his first top-10 since he tied for fifth at the 2005 Southern Farm Bureau Classic – a span of 67 starts.
* Lucas Glover tied the best birdie-streak on the 2008 PGA Tour when he reeled off six in a row late Sunday. Glover made six consecutive birdies starting at No. 12. He joins seven others who have done it this year. Glover shot a 67 to wind up at 16-under par and T7.
* Ken Duke had his best finish of the year, a tie for fourth. Duke’s previous best this year was a T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – his only top-25 finish in 18 starts. Duke was playing in front of family and friends this week, his wife, Michelle, is from nearby Clarkston, MI.
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