Herman wins Moonah Classic on first extra hole
FINGAL, Australia - It was only three days before Nationwide Tour players boarded planes to head “down under” for the Tour’s season-opening New Zealand / Australia swing that Jim Herman learned he had a spot in the fields. On Sunday the one-time Donald Trump employee turned his good fortune into the ultimate reward by winning his first Nationwide Tour title in a playoff over Chris Kirk at the Moonah Classic on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula.The American duo finished regulation play with 11-under-par 277 totals at the Moonah Links course south of Melbourne. Herman sealed the win with a 6-foot birdie putt on the first hole of sudden death and collected the first prize check for $126,000 U.S.
The champion opened with a course-record 62 on Thursday and led or was co-leader after the first three rounds. Tied with Kirk at 9-under-par starting the day, Herman trailed by as many as three shots midway through the front nine. Three birdies the rest of the way coupled with painful Kirk bogeys on holes 16 and 17 forced the playoff.
“I’m overwhelmed,” the winner said. “I’ve been waiting for this to happen for a long time. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I take my hat off to Chris. He played great. Unfortunately for him he let me back in it late.”
Herman, who worked for “The Donald” as an assistant pro at Trump National in New Jersey in 2006 and 2007, ended a string of seven consecutive missed cuts dating back to last fall. His previous best finishes on the Nationwide Tour were also in events played outside of the U.S., a 3rd in last year’s Michael Hill New Zealand Open and a tie for 4th in the Panama Digicel Championship.
The Ohio native decided on a last-minute change of shirts Sunday morning after remembering he’d seen photos of 2008 and 2009 champions Ewan Porter and Alistair Presnell in the clubhouse wearing blue shirts in their trophy shots.
“I’m sure my wife and everybody at home is up as well as other friends.”
Kirk, the 2007 college player of the year from the University of Georgia, was cruising and in control despite missing several makeable birdie putts in the middle of the round. But his undoing was missing from 8 feet and 10 feet for birdies on 16 and 17. On the 72nd hole, Kirk missed from 6 feet for the outright victory.
Michael Hill New Zealand Open winner Robert Gates enjoyed another great week “down under” shooting the day’s low round of 66, with three others, to grab third place.
Victoria native Jarrod Lylegave Melbourne-area golf fans much to cheer about on Sunday when he got into contention early with a birdie-birdie-par-eagle start. Out in 32 and within two shots of the lead, the big fellow from Shepparton had two birdies and two bogeys the rest of the way, which wasn’t enough. Lyle finished two shots back at 9-under after a round of 68.
Lyle shared fourth with Oklahoma native Tag Ridings, who closed with a 67.
Manny Villegas, brother of PGA Tour winner, Camilo Villegas, fired a 67 to place sixth, his best finish on the Nationwide Tour.
For the second year in a row, the Moonah Classic was co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, with the field split evenly between the two Tours.
Final-Round Notes:
* Play was stopped at noon in conjunction with a moment of national silence in honor of the 173 people who died in the devastating fires in Victoria on “Black Saturday” one year ago.
* Golf Channel will air tape-delayed fourth-round coverage in the United States on Sunday morning from 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. ET.
* New Zealand’s Michael Hendryhad an ace on the 5th hole Sunday using a 5-iron. The hole was playing 187 yards. It was a good all around day for Hendry. He shot 33-33-66 to finish tied for 10th.
* Red numbers were much more prevalent Sunday than the other three with winds clearly calmer than they’d been all week. 55% of the players (41 of 75) were under par Sunday compared to 33%, 22% and 19% the first three days, respectively.
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