Scott McCarron might want to take a piece of the $1 million in prize money he collected for winning the Charles Schwab Cup and get Jeff Maggert a really nice gift. McCarron won the season-long chase for cup after Maggert defeated Retief Goosen in a playoff at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The PGA Tour Champions points race was down to a two-man battle between McCarron and Goosen going into the final event at Phoenix Country Club. McCarron, who was 12/1 to win, according to Bovada, finished 27th and thought he had lost the bonus to Goosen.
All was not lost, however. Goosen, who was 9/1 to win, got into a playoff with Maggert, who was 80/1. If Maggert won, McCarron would be the points’ winner.
Goosen had a three-foot putt on the first extra hole to win, and McCarron, who was watching from the clubhouse veranda, thought it was over.
“At that point, I’m like, ‘It’s been a good year. Retief’s going to make this putt to win the tournament and win the Schwab Cup.’ He would be the rightful winner, and he won a major this year, and he’s a great player, a Hall of Famer, and he would have deserved it,†McCarron said. “Then he misses.â€
McCarron Celebrates Charles Schwab Cup Win
As McCarron was enjoying a glass of wine, Maggert and Goosen continued the playoff. On the third hole of the extra play, Maggert had a pitching wedge from 124 yards to set up a birdie putt.
Turns out, he didn’t need his flat stick. He two-hopped the ball on the green and into the hole for an eagle, ending the event.
A playoff hole-out for the win. 😱
Jeff Maggert drains his approach for eagle on the third extra hole to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.pic.twitter.com/vvIkInzpeW
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) November 11, 2019
When McCarron realized he had won the Charles Schwab Cup, he yelled from the balcony, “Jeff Maggert, my favorite player on the PGA Tour Champions.â€
“He [McCarron] owes me some red wine or something,†Maggert said.
Maggert won his sixth event on the PGA Tour Champions, and couldn’t believe how he captured the tournament.
“I’ve seen it happen, but I never thought it would happen to me in my life,†Maggert said. “Obviously, I didn’t make a lot of putts last two days, but sometimes you don’t need the putter to win.”
Rickie Fowler Honeymoon Illness Forces Withdrawl
Turns out, Rickie Fowler is more than lovesick. The newly married PGA Tour pro was on his honeymoon when he came down with an intestinal bacterial infection. The bug forced him to withdraw from this week’s Mayakoba Classic.
“I am taking medicine prescribed by my physician,†Fowler said in a statement. “But am not at full strength yet. As a result, I am ill-prepared to compete next week.”
Fowler is also hoping to get healthy enough to take Brooks Koepka’s spot on the Presidents Cup, if the world’s No. 1 player is unable to play. Koepka has been battling an aggravation of a knee injury he suffered a month ago.
This Week’s Odds, Picks
There are two events of note this week. The European Tour is at the Nedbank Golf Challenge where Louis Oosthuizen is the favorite at 10/1. We like this pick, as he finished third there last year.
The PGA Tour is at the Mayakoba Classic. Three players, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, and Viktor Hovland are favored at 18/1. However, we like Danny Lee at 50/1 based on his second-place finish there last year, and the fact he’s tied for 10th in his last two events.
