Jim Furyk was in a streak nobody would want to be on. He was winless in one hundred straight starts since his last win in 2010 at the Tour Championship.
It took a two hole playoff with Kevin Kinser a Palmetto state native to end the streak.
Furyk was losing confidence, and a psyche that was being rocked going so long without a win.
Furyk ended all of that on Sunday when he birded both playoff holes. When the winning putt sank into the hole at the par three 17th, Furyk forgot all about his usual reservedness on tour and the course and punched in the air dropping his putter in celebration.
“I think getting excited on 17 there was a lot of pent-up frustrations,” he said.
This was the second win of his career at the RBC Heritage and his first since 2010. That was also what turned out to be his best year on the tour as he won the RBC, Tour Championship, and the ten million dollar Fed Ex Cup.
He came into the tournament as a player ranked in the top ten, but just could not close out tournaments like a former US Open champion (2003) should. Jim was in an 0-9 slump trying to close out tournaments after leading through 54 holes. Furyk always believed he could win again, sometime down the road.
“But I was starting to feel like this game is beating me up, and the losing hurts a lot more than winning feels good,” Furyk said. “I think I just forget how good” it feels to win.
The win today came with a $1.062 million payday.
Furyk was leading by a stroke and in the clubhouse as Kinser birded the 72nd hole and forced a playoff. It was the fourth such playoff at Harbor Town Golf Links in the past six years. On the first playoff hole Kinser nailed home his second straight birdie on 18. Furyk answered right back with one of his own to force another playoff hole. On 17 Kinser missed his birdie try, and Furyk nailed his 12-foot putt for birdie to win the tournament and his 17th career PGA Tour victory.
In regulation Furyk shot a 63, and Kisner a 64 to make the playoff at -18. Third round leader Troy Merritt was -16 after shooting a 69. Defending champion Matt Kucher shot a 68 for -14, and newly crowned Masters champion Jordan Spieth, shot a 70 to finish in a tie for 11th at -10.
The Heritage was a weird tournament for Furyk.
He looked like the field was going to leave him behind early, after playing 18 straight holes at even par leaving him five shots off the pace. On Friday though, Furyk got into a groove to have 8 birdies and shoot a 2nd round 64. He shot a 68 yesterday, but knew he had to play a better round today. Boy did he ever!
On the front nine Jim had 6 birdies and went out in 30 (including a 48 foot birdie putt on the par-4 8th), and then started the back nine with a bogey at 11. He readjusted himself and birdied three of the next four holes and looked to be in complete control. After his long putt on No. 8 Furyk said he began to think, “This may be the day.”
Kinser chased down Furyk on the back nine. He birdied the 14th and 15th to find himself one stroke back until his birdie on 18 forced the playoff.
Furyk is used to playoffs at Harbor Town, because his last win here in 2010 was in a playoff over Brian Davis. Davis struck a loose impediment on his swing and called a penalty on himself and it gave Furyk the win in the playoff.
Kevin knew Jim would tie him on 18 on the first playoff hole. He had made 11 birdies in his last 20 holes.
“You don’t expect a guy of Jim’s caliber to miss a 6-footer straight up the hill,” Kisner said.
Spieth ended a great five tournament stretch. Jordan won the Valspar Championship a month ago, following that up with second place finishes at the Texas and Houston Opens, then tying Tiger Woods -18 par at the Masters last week.
Tom Watson who on Friday became the oldest player ever to make a PGA Tour cut at the age of 65, finished with a 5 over 76.