Wood takes playoff win at Dick’s Sporting Goods Open

Wood, a Monday qualifier, drained a long birdie putt at the 18th to match
Allen atop the leaderboard and force a playoff.

The pair returned to the 18th, a par 4, where Allen sent his tee shot well to
the left and ended up taking a drop in front of a water feature. Wood, on the
other hand, played the hole safely and needed only to tap in a short birdie
putt to secure the victory.

“I’ve worked really hard for this,” Wood said in a television interview. “Now
I have a place to play without having to go through Monday qualifying. That’s
a good feeling.”

It is Wood’s first win on the Champions Tour, and first overall since the 1996
Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic, a PGA event now known as the True South
Classic.

“This is big,” Wood continued on TV. “I’ve had some downs, but this is a big
up for me.”

Wood carded a 4-under 68 in regulation to match Allen (66) at 13-under-par
203, and the two finished a stroke ahead of four players. Joey Sindelar (66),
Kenny Perry (67), Tom Lehman (67) and Brad Faxon (71) shared third place at
minus-12.

Faxon was tied with Allen at minus-13 before bogeying the 17th. He then sent a
long birdie try past the hole at the last, falling a stroke short of a
playoff.

John Huston was in good position to repeat as champion, as he carried a 1-
stroke lead into Sunday’s round. But after he eagled his opening hole, Huston
began to fall apart. He stumbled to a double bogey at the second, birdied the
third, then gave that stroke right back at the next hole.

He bogeyed the ninth to turn at minus-11, and his chances of winning all but
disappeared with a triple bogey at the 10th. Huston finished with a 5-over 77
and tied for 21st at minus-7.

MORE TO FOLLOW.