In a swift and shocking finish, Jonathan Byrd won a three-man playoff Sunday with a hole-in-one on the fourth extra hole in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Moments earlier, Byrd stood on the 18th green with Martin Laird and Cameron Percy as they discussed whether there was enough light to continue. They agreed to play one more hole -- the 204-yard 17th at the TPC Summerlin.
And the playoff essentially ended with one swing.
It was too dark for Byrd to see his ball land about 10 feet short of the flag and roll into the cup, and even the cheers from a smattering of fans around the green weren't convincing.
"Did that go in?" Byrd asked his caddie.
Almost as stunning was that Byrd remained in the playoff. On the third playoff hole, the par-4 18th, Byrd's approach tumbled over the green and was one hop away from going into the water. Instead, it settled in a clump of grass, he chipped up to 7 feet and made the par putt just to stay alive.
One swing later, he only had to wait for Laird and Percy to hit their shots -- and they both hit into the water -- to come up with his first win of the year.
"I'm in shock," Byrd said, certainly speaking for everyone watching another Fall Series thriller.
Only a week ago, Rocco Mediate won the Frys.com Open at CordeValle by holing a wedge for eagle on the 17th hole of the final round, right after Alex Prugh came within inches of holing out from the tee box with a driver.
This one was even more incredible, and it came at just the right time. Byrd was No. 117 on the money list going into Las Vegas, and his fourth career victory gives him a two-year exemption.
Players have made an eagle with a full swing on the final hole to win tournaments -- Isao Aoki in the Hawaiian Open -- but a walk-off ace is among the rarest moments in golf.
Byrd closed with a 68, and he had to watch four times -- once in regulation, three times in a playoff -- as Laird stood over a birdie putt with a chance to win. That sequence started in regulation, when Laird had a 30-foot birdie try. Laird, the defending champion, shot 69.
Percy, the Australian rookie who needed to win to keep his job on the PGA TOUR, earlier holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 67 that allowed him to get into the playoff. They finished at 21-under 263.
Byrd won $774,000 for his first win since the 2007 John Deere Classic.
Webb Simpson was at 22 under and had a one-shot lead until he pulled his tee shot into the water on the 17th and made double bogey. He finished with a 68 and wound up one shot out of the playoff, along with Spencer Levin, who had a 66.
Nick Watney, who lives in Las Vegas and was playing his final tournament before his wedding, had a 66 and tied for sixth with Cameron Beckman, who had a 67.
For those chasing a PGA TOUR card, they now wait two weeks before the final tournament at Disney.
