A Dramatic two-stroke swing on the final hole gave Rocco Mediate a victory yesterday at the $2.7 million PGA Buick Open while breaking the heart of fellow American Chris Perry.
Mediate, who never led outright until the final stroke of the tournament, birdied two of the last three holes to fire a final-round six-under par 66 and finish at 20-under 268, defeating Perry by a stroke.
"I just wanted to see what would happen on 18," Mediate said. "I knew if I made a birdie I would get into a playoff. I didn't expect that would win it."
Perry led by a stroke when he and playing partner Mediate reached the final green. After Mediate sank his 12-foot birdie at the 18th hole, Perry pushed his six-foot par putt left of the cup and fell out of a playoff.
"We both played great," Perry said. "It became a match-play situation. I forced him to make a birdie on the last hole and he did. He made one more birdie than I did."