BRIAN GAY SANK a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat fellow American Wyndham Clark and win the Bermuda Championship to snap a seven-year US PGA win drought.
In his 602nd tour appearance, the 48-year-old world number 328 captured his first US PGA title since the 2013 Humana Challenge for his fifth triumph overall.
“This is absolutely insane,” Gay said. “I’ve been playing awful since Covid. It has been a struggle, working hard, coming back.”
Gay fired a seven-under par 64 and Clark shot 65 in the final round to leave them level atop the leaderboard on 15-under 269 after 72 holes at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton.
After a clutch tap-in birdie at 18 on the 72nd hole in tournament play to match Clark for the lead, Gay dropped his approach in the playoff 10 feet from the cup and sank the clutch putt.
Clark rolled his eight-foot birdie bid past the hole moments later and Gay had the victory.
“I had been third here (last year) so I had some good feelings coming into this,” Gay said.
“I know I have the game to compete out here. It’s easy to have doubt creep in there. There are some great players out here. A lot of them are my daughter’s age.
“It feels really good to win out here.”
American Ollie Schniederjans, playing on a sponsor exemption, was third on 271 followed by compatriots Stewart Cink, Doc Redman and Denny McCarthy and Australian Matt Jones on 272.
World number 183 Clark, 26, birdied five of the first seven holes and seized a three-stroke lead on the back nine before Gay charged late with seven birdies in a 10-hole span.
Gay’s other PGA titles came at the 2008 Mayakoba Classic, 2009 Heritage Classic and 2009 St. Jude Classic.
Clark settled for his best-ever PGA finish.
“I’m pretty bummed. I would have liked to have won,” Clark said. “I’m disappointed… I had chances. I just didn’t capitalize.”
Padraig Harrington’s final day 69 saw the Dubliner finish tied for 26th.
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