SAN MARTIN – Tiger Woods had a sea of spectators following his every move all week at CordeValle Golf Club, but the gallery saved its loudest roars for Bryce Molder and Briny Baird.
Baird, 39, who has been playing Tour events since 1995 and Molder, 32, who turned professional in 2001, each had glimpses at their first PGA Tour title during Sunday’s final round of the Frys.com Open.
Both men wanted it equally as much. It became a matter of who was going to make the putt to do it.
Finally, on the sixth playoff hole, Molder sank a redemptive birdie putt to earn his first tour victory in his 132nd PGA event, as the sun drifted behind the foothills in San Martin.
“It’s still kind of sinking in. It’s very gratifying,” Molder said.
After his drive found center fairway on the deciding hole, Molder stuck his approach shot 6 feet from the cup. Baird, meanwhile, had a 60-foot birdie putt, which he missed and settled for par, clearing the way for Molder’s clincher.
“You almost get past being nervous,” Molder said. “At that point you just want to take advantage of the opportunities you have.
“It’s a lot fun to be in contention and want to be there. And to be honest, that was my biggest hurdle the last few years. I’ve gotten myself into contention, and to be brutally honest I didn’t want to be there. I wasn’t ready for dealing with the nerves, the shots and the failure yet. Once you’re ready to deal with the failure, all of a sudden you can figure things out and play. It’s fun to be out there and hit some shots in those circumstances when everything is on the line.”
Plenty was on the line as the playoff unfolded, and both players had incredible chances to end matters in the exhaustive extra session, playing the 17th and 18th three times apiece.
“Obviously, I’m more than disappointed right now,” Baird said. “Honestly, there was zero doubt in my mind that I would grab the check — and that’s not a knock on Bryce. I felt good. “I had my chances. When you’re given a chance, you have to make putts.
“I lost my concentration one time today, and that was on one of the putts I had to win the tournament.”
Molder missed two eagle tries on the first and third playoff holes on the drivable 284-yard par-4 17th. Baird had birdie opportunities inside 12 feet for the win on the second and fourth playoff holes at No. 18.Â
On that second visit to the 18th, Molder survived an errant tee shot, and muscled a 9-iron out of the tall grass to reach the front of the green. The shot ultimately saved his tournament.
Baird, who was safely in the fairway, hit a sand wedge high off the flagstick, and the ball came to rest 11 feet from victory. He missed the birdie, and both men moved to the 17th for a third time.
“When he hit it into the hazard, I didn’t think it was over to the point where I lost concentration or anything like that,” Baird said.
Each had eagle putts in the fifth playoff round, and neither executed.
“I kept thinking, ‘We don’t need to come back tomorrow,'” Molder said. “I’m sure everybody else was thinking that as well.”
The tournament didn’t seem destined for its third playoff in four years about 90 minutes prior to the marathon playoff.
Trailing Molder by one-stroke with two to play, Baird chipped in for eagle out of the rough short of the 17th green to give him a one-stroke lead.
Baird said after Saturday’s round that if he was able to hold off a hard-charging field Sunday at CordeValle and finally earn his first PGA Tour victory, he’d “give a little fist pump inside.”
Baird threw down a Woods-like fist pump as the jubilation escaped.
But Molder, who began the day three-shots back, completed a 7-under-par 64 by sinking an 11-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 to tie it moments after Baird appeared to sew up the tournament.Â
Baird left a tournament-winning 27-foot putt 8 inches short on 18, sending the tournament into a playoff with both players at 17-under, 267. The Florida native is now winless in 348 events, though gaining career earnings of more than $12 million after his second-place payday of $540,000.
“Like I said, I played good,” Baird said. “Today I felt like I was out there to win the tournament. I hit some shots when I really needed to hit some shots. For me, that’s a big deal.”
Bud Cauley, 21, finished alone in third at minus-15. Shane Bertsch and Ernie Els tied for fourth at minus-14.
“I played well this week,” Cauley said. “You know, I had good days. Every day I had a spurt where I’d start playing well, and then kind of lulled some all four days also.”
With the win, Molder earns full exemption on tour for 2012-13 and has spots in the 2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, 2012 Humana Challenge, 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 2012 RBC Heritage, 2012 Players, 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, 2012 Memorial Tournament, 2012 AT&T National and 2012 PGA Championship.
Woods, the tournament’s main attraction, fired his third straight 68 to finish 7-under – but not without some unusual excitement.
A 31-year-old man was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace after running toward Tiger Woods on the seventh green as he was about to putt during Sunday.
“He was immediately taken into custody and escorted off the property,” Santa Clara Sheriff Sgt. Jose Cardoza said. “As far as we can tell he had some drinks, but he wasn’t to the point where he was drunk in public.”
The man’s name has yet to be released.
Members of the gallery who witnessed the incident said the man was yelling Woods’ name as he ran onto the putting surface.
At first it was thought the man threw a hot dog at Woods as he approached the golfer. Cardoza said the man’s statement was that it flew out of his hands.
“As he was running he had it in his hand, and it flew out because he was waving his arms. It’s either throw or went into the air, but he wasn’t throwing it at anybody,” Cardoza said, adding that two deputies responded immediately as well as other security personnel.
“I guess he wanted to be in the news,” Woods said of the bizarre event. “And I’m sure he will be.
Asked if he was afraid, Woods said he wasn’t.
Woods, donning his Sunday red, started his day on the course’s 10th hole, nine strokes behind the 54-hole leader, Briny Baird. Woods birdied three of his first five holes to climb within six strokes.
After playing the front nine 4-under par, Woods finished the back 1-over.
“The event’s fantastic,” Woods said. “I think everyone turned out in droves the last couple days. The weather turned; perfect sunshine.”
