Molder Survives Six Playoff Holes to Win Frys.com Open


Two veteran players had a chance to log their first-ever wins on the PGA Tour Sunday at CordeValley Golf Club in San Martin, Calif., and Bryce Molder was the one to do it after he sank a 6-foot birdie putt on the sixth sudden-death playoff hole - the 18th - to beat Briny Baird and win the Frys.com Open.

The victory earned the 32-year-old Georgia Tech grad $900,000.

During the playoff the duo went back and forth between the 17th and 18th holes - both par-4s, with Baird getting three birdies and Molder matching that plus one more.

Molder and Baird, 39, finished tied in regulation at 17-under 267. Third-round leader Baird closed with a 4-under 67 and Molder a 64, with his birdie on the last hole of regulation enough to tie Baird and send it to overtime. Baird had a chance for the outright win after an eagle - for the second straight day - on the par-4 17th, but he had to settle for par on the 18th.

Bud Cauley, a 21-year-old Tour rookie, had a surprising tournament, closing with a 5-under 66 and ending up alone in third at 269. Shane Bertsch, a 31-year-old from Denver and a 2011 Q School grad, soared up the leaderboard with a 64 to share fourth with Ernie Els, who had a 68 Sunday.

Cauley breathed a sigh of relief afterward as his high finish guarantees him a spot in next week's PGA Tour event, the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, Ga. "I'm very happy I played my way into next week," said the three-time All-American at Alabama. "Had I not, I have a red-eye out tonight. I was going to try and tee it up tomorrow morning (for Monday morning qualifying), so this is definitely a lot easier; and I'll sleep in tomorrow and show up Tuesday."

John Rollins took solo sixth at 13-under 271 after a 67, and eight players finished another two strokes back, including Englishman Paul Casey, who began the final round only one back of Baird. Casey posted a 71 Sunday.

Playing in his first tournament in seven weeks, Tiger Woods carded his third straight 68 to finish tied for 30th at 7-under 277. After two bogeys and a birdie on the front nine, he ran off four birdies in six holes on the inward nine. After a bogey on No. 16, he finished birdie-par.

"I played really well today," Woods said later. "Unfortunately, just kind of sputtered the momentum at 16. So I was rolling there. I was 1-under for the day. If I make par there, go birdie 17. Who knows. But unfortunately it didn't happen that way."

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