Price earns first career win on second playoff hole
LIVERMORE, CA – Aron Price earned his first career win Sunday, beating J.J. Killeen on the second hole of a playoff at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship. Price’s even-par 72 in the final round was enough to make up a four-stroke deficit on Killeen and force the playoff. The pair tied at 5-under 283 at the end of regulation play, one better than Joe Daley.“I feel relieved,” said Price, who joins fellow Australians Jarrod Lyle, Ewan Porter and Gavin Coles among the Nationwide Tour’s six winners in 2008. “I’ve been working hard on some swing changes the past months and it’s good to know the hard work pays off.”
Former U.S. Amateur champion Colt Knost was in fourth place at 1-under par, the only other player to break par over four rounds on what has become the toughest course on the Nationwide Tour.
Price’s initial victory came when Killeen missed a 3-foot par putt on the second extra hole.
“I felt terrible for him,” said Price, who two-putted from 12 feet for par. “It felt like the first time I trod on a snake. It’s like my body froze. That was the only time I knew I was going back to the tee. I was certain we were headed straight back to the tee for another go.”
Killeen, a 26-year old rookie from Texas, held the outright lead after each of the first three rounds but struggled to a 4-over 76 on the last day.
“I had a couple of rough holes down the stretch but I’m proud of the way I played,” said Killeen, who led the tournament in putting. “I’m disappointed to lose. I wish I could have holed a couple of more putts and
that’s all it would have taken. One more.”
Price stayed patient throughout the day, hitting green after green and giving himself several chances to move up the leaderboard on a day when the field was stuck in reverse. The 25-year old Aussie led the tournament in greens in regulation, hitting 14 of 18 in the final round.
“I didn’t expect him (Killeen) to come back today. He came back yesterday but you never know,” said Price, who tied for second in this event in 2007. “I know what happens on that back nine.”
When Price rolled in a birdie at No. 16 it ended Killeen’s firm grip on first place, something the Texan had owned since late in the opening round. Suddenly the hunter became the hunted.
“I peeked at the scoreboard and saw that I was in the lead or near it,” said Price, who’d been in the same position at the 2006 Permian Basin Charity Golf Classic but lost the lead on the final hole and then lost a
playoff to Brandt Snedeker. “I thought, ‘oh no, here we go again. I had a lot of negative thoughts and I was thinking maybe that’s why I never win.”
Price was in the next-to-last group and yanked his second shot on the final hole of regulation near the grandstand. “I definitely didn’t commit to that shot,” said Price. “I tried to hit it smooth but that didn’t work.”
Neither did his 8-foot par putt, which missed and left him tied with Killeen at minus-5.
Shortly thereafter, Killeen’s tee shot found the hazard the dissects the fairway on the 469-yard hole. A penalty stroke and a drop later, Killeen regained his nerves and drilled his 6-iron from 178 yards to 15
feet. He then canned the pressure-packed putt for par, forcing the first playoff on Tour this year.
The win was worth $108,000 for Price, who jumps to No. 4 on the season-long money list and says he’ll head back to his adopted home of Jacksonville, FL this week and look for a house or condominium to buy.
Fourth-Round News & Notes: The best rounds of the day were a pair of 2-under-par 70s by Kris Blanks and Paul Stankowski…J.J. Killeen led the tournament with 19 birdies…The final round scoring average was 74.951. The four-day scoring average was 74.740.
Return to Other Tours archives