Love wins fifth Heritage title in play-off

DAVIS LOVE III ended an

Love missed each of the first three greens in the sudden death, lipped out a potential winning par putt and pulled another before sticking his approach at the par-four 18th. He made the three and a half-footer for the $810,000 top prize.

Love made a 60-foot birdie chip on the final hole of regulation and Austin followed with a par as the two ended a final-round shoot-out at 13-under-par 271.

Fifteen others finished within three strokes of the leaders, including Ernie Els, who blew a two-stroke lead with a double-bogey, bogey, bogey finish. At one point late on the back nine, eight were tied for the lead.

The fourth-ranked player in the world, Love also won here in 1998, 1992, 1991 and 1987. He is the only player in the 35-year history of the event to win it more than three times.

“To win five times on tour is pretty awesome, but to win five times in the same place, pretty incredible,” said Love, who jumped to the top of the tour's money list with over $3.685m and claimed his 17th career title.

Austin twice coughed up his second career title, lipping out a five-foot birdie putt on the second sudden-death hole and a three-footer for par on the third - both of which would have given him the victory.

It was a heartbreaking four holes for Austin, who suffered a meltdown of another kind here in 1997, when he bent a putter over his head following a bad putt on the 14th hole. He missed the cut that time.

Austin settled for his best finish on the PGA Tour since winning the 1995 Buick Open. He had a pair of late birdies last year at Q-School just to regain his playing privileges.

"The last six years have been golfing purgatory for me," he said. "It really would have made me really feel good about what I have gone through the last six years."

Austin had the lead to himself on the final hole of regulation but wouldn't have had a chance if Els hadn't collapsed. The world No 2 had a two-shot lead before he drove out of bounds at the 16th hole en route to a double-bogey.

"I paid the price," said Els who, like Love, was seeking his third PGA Tour win of the year.

It got worse for the easy-going South African. He flew the green at the par-three 17th and fell two shots back with a bogey, then missed a three-footer for par putt at 18.

"I'm just dumbfounded at the moment," Els said.

"I played great today and i’ve just got to get going again next week. I have to try to get over this one."

Love trailed Els by three shots after he hit into the water at the 10th. He found a fairway bunker at the 12th but made a 30-foot par putt to get himself going. Love tied Austin for the lead with a remarkable chip-in at the closing hole.

He told his caddie, his brother, Mark, that it was going in.

Austin's final round was far less dramatic. He had an eagle at the par-five second, a birdie at 14th and 16 pars, unable to take advantage of several opportunities.

At the first play-off hole, Austin hooked his drive into a hazard to the left of the fairway, but Love was unable to take advantage.

Both bogeyed the next, then moved to 16, where Love missed another green but Austin lipped out a five-footer for par.

At the next, the par-three 17th, both players missed the green. Love missed his five-footer for par, giving Austin the opportunity to win with a three-foot putt.

"When I missed that little one at 17, I really did feel like it was over, that it was time for him to hit a good putt," Love said.

Austin didn't. He pulled it two feet past.

"Obviously, this was a hell of a chance," Austin said. "You can't say any more than having a three-footer to win."

Love finally hit a good shot on the second play-off visit to 18, grazing the pin with a 170-yard approach and leaving himself three and a half feet for birdie.

Austin tried to duplicate the approach.

His second shot was tantalisingly close to perfect, flying straight at the pin before landing some five feet short of the green.