Extra special win for Frazar

TEXAN Harrison Frazar captured his first victory on the PGA US Tour in Memphis, Tennessee, yesterday when he defeated Sweden’s Robert Karlsson at the third tie hole of a “sudden death” play-off after they had tied on 13 under par after the regulation 72 holes.

Frazar, 39, earned his card on tour at the US Tour School in 2008 during which he joined the elite few to have broken 60 in serious competition. His career has been adversely affected by hip and wrist injuries but he fully deserved this breakthrough win which came at the expense of Karlsson, who was losing in a play-off for the second successive year in this event.

Frazar was one ahead of Karlsson in what was essentially a two-horse race playing the final hole. However, he pulled his approach into a water hazard and had to work hard for a bogey five that sent the pair into extra time. The finish came at the third play-off hole when the 6 ft 5 inch Swede missed the green to the right, chipped 14 feet past and missed the putt that would have kept the contest alive.

Pádraig Harrington wrapped up his preparations for the US Open beginning at Congressional Country Club, Washington DC, on Thursday with an encouraging final round of 68.

It left him on a 72-hole aggregate of two over par 282 and hopefully headed in the right direction after several disappointments already this year.

Although he improved his 54-hole position by 12 places for a share of 52nd, Harrington is still awaiting the kind of performance that would suggest he is capable of a serious challenge for a fourth major title later this week. Indeed, the likelihood is that he will drop another place in the world rankings from his current 51st when the new figures are released today.

Lee Westwood, the defending champion and number two in the world, couldn’t have usurped fellow Englishman Luke Donald as the top dog even if he won in Memphis. But he indicated that his game was in excellent shape with a final round of 66 for six under.

Harrington shot rounds of 70, 72, 72 and 68 and afterwards expressed satisfaction with the state of his game and his fitness, especially after his preparation for the US Open had been disrupted by the leg injury that kept him on the sidelines for the past three weeks. Yesterday’s 68 began brightly with successive birdies at the par five 3rd and short 4th before a bogey at the next stopped him in his tracks.

However, he picked up his second two of the round at the 8th to reach the turn in 33. Although dropped shots at the 12th and 14th might have knocked him out of his stride, he finished in style with a fourth successive birdie at the 16th and a superb birdie at the water strewn 18th. Over the 72 holes, Harrington recorded 10 birdies and 12 bogeys, had a putting average of 27.5, driving accuracy of 57.1 and averaged a distance of 304 off the tee.