PGA Tour: Grayson Murray snatches Sony Open win after beating Byeong Hun An, Keegan Bradley in play-off | Golf News
Grayson Murray ended a six-and-a-half-year winless run on the PGA Tour by snatching a dramatic play-off victory after a remarkable finish to the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Murray birdied his final hole to close a bogey-free 67 on the final day at Waialae Country Club, seeing him join former PGA champion Keegan Bradley and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An on 17 under.
The trio replayed the par-five 18th in the play-off, where Murray holed a birdie putt from nearly 40 feet – as his playing partners could only make par – to earn him his second PGA Tour title and move him inside the world’s top 50 for the first time in his career.
Grayson Murray’s victory is his first since the 2017 Barbasol Championship
“I was at peace with the 40-footer in the play-off,” Murray said. “I expected Ben [Byeong Hun An] to make it. This game is crazy, but I knew I had to give it a chance. I wasn’t going to leave it short! Obviously 100 per cent of the putts that you leave short don’t go in. I just gave it my best stroke, and obviously it went in.”
Murray comes out on top in Hawaii
An set the initial clubhouse after recovering from bogey-birdie-bogey start to his final round to post a six-under 64, playing a three-hole stretch in four under from the seventh before adding three more birdies on his back nine.
Byeong Hun An narrowly missed out on a maiden PGA Tour victory
The 32-year-old had to settle for a two-putt birdie at the par-five last after reaching the green in two but missing his 15-foot eagle try, which would have earned him outright victory, while Bradley also failed to convert a putt for the win on his final hole.
Bradley and Murray both missed the fairway with their drives at No 18 and both punched out. Murray, who was one off the pace at the time, hit to inside three feet and tapped in for birdie to join the leaders as Bradley missed from just under 25 feet to win the tournament in regulation.
Murray’s drive hooked left in the play-off and appeared to hit palm trees on its way down, leaving him only able to punch out onto the fairway, with the American then finding the green with his third shot but around 38 feet from the hole.
Bradley’s second shot sailed into the grandstand and required a drop, before he pitched to around 20 feet with his third, while An appeared to be the most likely victor when he chipped from the greenside rough to within four feet of the cup.
Murray put pressure on his playing partners by draining the long-range putt, which was enough for victory when Bradley missed his birdie effort and An’s putt to extend the contest trickled past the hole.
“It was a great week. I played great. I played good enough to win,” Bradley said. “But sometimes it’s just not quite good enough, and that was one of these weeks.”
Keegan Bradley also carded a three-under 67 on the final day
Russell Henley and China’s Carl Yuan finished a shot back in tied-fourth ahead of J.T Poston, who charged up the leaderboard on the final day with a nine-under 61, while Canada’s Nick Taylor shared seventh with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo. and France’s Matthieu Pavon.
Murray takes inspiration from Kirk
Murray stopped drinking alcohol last year to try and improve himself and cited Chris Kirk, who previously took time away from the PGA Tour to address mental health and addiction concerns and won The Sentry the previous week, as an inspiration.
“I would drink during tournament weeks,” Murray admitted. “It was my outlet. I thought I was invincible coming out here as a 22-year-old, winning as a rookie, played three days hungover when I won.
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After winning The Sentry in Hawaii, Chris Kirk opened up about his journey to sobriety and how it saved his career
“Best thing and worst thing that ever happened to me was winning my rookie year but also feeling like I was invincible. It took me a long time to get to this point.
“I’m a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn’t put that drink down eight months ago.”
Live PGA Tour Golf
Thursday 18th January 9:00pm
What’s next?
The PGA Tour heads to California for the American Express, which is played across three courses: Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Tournament Course.
Defending champion Jon Rahm won’t feature after joining the LIV Golf League, although world No 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines a strong field that is set to contain four of the world’s top six.
Live coverage begins on Thursday from 6pm via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 9pm. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more on NOW.
