Austin rallies to win Champions playoff opener

[October 22, 2018]  Woody Austin birdied the 15th and 18th holes to claim a one-stroke victory at the PGA Champions Tour's playoff-opening Dominion Energy Charity Classic on Sunday in Richmond, Va..

Austin drained a 5-footer at the par-5 18th after his chip shot had hit the flagstick. The putt capped a 3-under-par round of 69 to leave him at 11-under 205, one stroke ahead of defending champion Bernhard Langer of Germany, who shot 70 as he sought victories in back-to-back weeks.

"I got a good break," Austin said afterward. "I'm not afraid to admit when it happens. It was a tough chip shot, but I hit a pretty darn good chip shot. It just hit really hard, but it hit the flag and I made it."

Austin, 54, opened his day with a birdie and sandwiched two more at Nos. 4 and 6 around a bogey at the fifth. After a birdie at No. 9, he bogeyed the 10th and 14th to slip back to 9 under before rallying for his pair of late birdies.

He said afterward he felt the difficulty of the course gave him an advantage.

"Bermuda rough is a great equalizer," Austin said. "It helps a person like me who needs the scores to be a little higher. I don't make enough putts to shoot those low scores."

It was Austin's fourth win on the tour and his first since 2016, when he notched his first three victories.

Among three players tying for third another stroke back was Jay Haas, who led by two entering the final round and was seeking to become the oldest winner (64 years, 10 months, 19 days) in the history of the tour. Despite a birdie at the first, Haas shot 2-over 74, with two bogeys on the front nine and a double at No. 14.

Joining Haas at 9 under were Fran Quinn (69) and Kent Jones (70), who birdied each of his final three holes.

Langer, 61, set a record last week with his fifth career victory since turning 60. He moved into contention with a pair of birdies to close the front nine but couldn't do more until a birdie at the 18th.

--Field Level Media

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