HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Brandt Snedeker rallied from six shots behind and defeated Luke Donald in a playoff at The Heritage to deny the Englishman the No. 1 ranking Sunday.
Donald would have risen to the top spot in the world from No. 3 had he won. His countryman, Lee Westwood, moved from No. 2 to No. 1, replacing Martin Kaymer, after winning the Indonesian Masters.
Donald saved par from difficult spots on the 71st and 72nd holes to force the playoff, then did it again on the second extra hole. But his luck ran out on Harbour Town’s closing lighthouse hole, No. 18, when he got a partially buried lie in a front bunker.
Donald blasted out about 15 feet from the flag, and his chip for par from just off the green hit the back edge of the cup and bounced away, giving Snedeker his second career PGA Tour title.
Tommy Gainey finished a stroke back after a 68.
Earlier in the day, Westwood celebrated his 38th birthday with a 3-under 69 for a three-stroke victory over Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee in Jakarta.
Footnotes.
Kenny Perry missed a 14-inch par putt to extend the match, and David Eger and Mark McNulty won the better-ball Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in Savannah, Ga., on the second playoff hole against Perry and Scott Hoch.
• Nicolas Colsaerts set a tournament record at the China Open in Chengdu, finishing at 24-under.
The Associated Press
