Youngster earns first pro win

By HENRY MORABANG
THE Royal Port Moresby Golf Club greens earned a footnote in the Guinness book of records for deciding a winner after extra six holes.
Both the winner Cory Crawford, 24, and eventual runner-up Brett Rankin were tied at 10 under par after four days which forced the match into a play-off at the 18th hole. And the winner was not decided until an unprecedented six-hole playoff.
Queenslander Crawford claimed his first victory on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia following a thrilling if not gruelling six-hole playoff against fellow Queenslander Rankin at the SP Brewery-sponsered-PNG Open.
The tournament which attracted 85 professionals and 21 amateurs started on Thursday and ended yesterday evening.
It was a great entertaining game during the tie breaker which saw Crawford walking away with A$21,300 (K51,812) prize money.
Both golfers, Crawford and Rankin showed their championship qualities in the playoff with neither man wilting under the pressure.
The showdown added a thrilling chapter to the tournament’s history especially after last year’s three-way playoff.
Crawford checked in as clubhouse leader after the final round at 10-under par and faced an agonising wait for Rankin, who was also on the same score, to finish his round in the group behind him.
Rankin had the opportunity to seal victory with a birdie on the par-3 18th hole but was only able to make par, forcing a playoff for the second year in a row.
The pair could not be separated through five playoff holes at the 18th, both making par on all attempts.
On their sixth trip, both men got their shots to around the same distance (12-metres) from the hole.
But it was Rankin who lost his nerve, bogeying the hole and leaving Crawford only needing to hold par to claim the title.
“It definitely means a lot considering I’ve had a really rough couple of years out here so it was good to get it all together in one week and obviously to get the win is fantastic,” Crawford, who now has full exemption on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of 2018, said.
The six extra holes on top of 72 already completed in regulation play took their toll on Crawford who was relieved when the grueling playoff finally ended.
“I haven’t won a lot of playoffs as an amateur but this was great. I mean six holes, it’s tough, it’s taxing and obviously on top of 72 holes, it’s quite hot here as well,” Crawford, who only turned pro in 2015, said.
“It was getting tough towards the end but it’s great to get the job done.”
Crawford said as the playoff drew longer he was playing a safe and simple game plan.
“I just kept doing the same thing, kept getting to the same spot and giving myself a chance to hole a par and in the end it worked out in my favour.”
The 24-year-old has entered for the TX Civil & Logistics WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie, WA, from May 18-21.
“I’ve entered for WA so I’ll head over there and try and back this up with a win, it’s always tough to win but I’ll be trying my hardest.”
Crawford is now on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia order of merit.
From PNG, the PGA Tour of Australasia heads back to Australia for the TX Civil & Logistics WA