The US PGA Tour Barbasol Championship was won by Sweden’s Vincent Norrman, who defeated England’s Nathan Kimsey in a playoff with a par on the first extra hole on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Swedish player hit a crucial bogey putt from seven feet on the 18th hole during regulation to force a playoff. In the playoff, he pitched from the rough to two feet and made a par putt to secure the championship.
“I don’t think I can process this for a while. I’m at a loss for words,” Norrman said.
“It’s even beyond (a dream). I don’t think I’ve dreamt this big yet honestly. It’s amazing.”
At Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky, Norrman shot a six-under par 66 to tie for second place with Kimsey on 22-under 266 after 72 holes.
In only his 23rd tour appearance, the US PGA Tour rookie won his maiden tournament, earning a spot in the British Open the following week. He is now ranked 286th.
Norrman wasn’t sure how the victory would change his objectives and intentions. His previous best PGA finish was a tie for eighth place at the Byron Nelson in May. “We’re going to figure that out tomorrow,” he said.
Norrman led Kimsey by one at the 18th tee but his first two shots found the left rough. Then Norrman blasted over the green, pitched to just outside seven feet and saw his bogey putt catch the right edge and fall in to force a playoff.
“I just hit it left off the tee and I had a terrible lie,” Norrman said. “It was an impossible shot, I felt like. That was a really good bogey.”
The playoff started at the par-4 18th hole, where Kimsey found a left greenside bunker while Norrman found right greenside rough.
While Norrman pitched to two feet, Kimsey blasted out to 15 feet. Kimsey missed her second attempt for a bogey, and Norrman quickly tapped in for the win.
“Have a chance to win a PGA Tour event, I can’t complain really,” Kimsey said. “I feel like I barely missed a shot all day, holed a few nice putts and did a really good job of executing the whole back nine.”
An opportunity to become the first player since American Jim Benepe at the 1988 Western Open to win on his PGA Tour debut was lost by 30-year-old Englishman Kimsey, who competes on the DP World Tour.
Trevor Cone, a rookie representing the United States, settled for a tie for third place with Adrien Saddier of France on 267 after making double bogey at the par-3 16th and missing a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th to miss the playoff.
The 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover shot a 68 to finish fifth on 268 and tied Taylor Pendrith of Canada for sixth on 269 after recording his 12th straight round in the 60s.
