Woodland Finishes Open Championship Tied for 34th
July 22, 2012
LANCASHIRE, England – Former KU golfer Gary Woodland carded as many eagles as the top-22 finishers combined and tied for the tournament lead in that category while posting a career-best 284 at the 2012 Open Championship on the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Course Sunday.
The Topeka, Kan. native, who competed for the Jayhawks from 2004-07, didn’t wait long to bounce back from a double bogey on hole No. 15 when he eagled the par-4 16th near the end of his closing round of 71. Woodland shot 73-70-70-71—284 (+4) to finish the major championship tied for 34th. The finish was four spots lower than his 30th-place finish in 2011, but he cut five strokes from last year’s tournament.
Woodland carded an eagle on par-5 No. 7 in Saturday’s round and tied Chez Reavie, who was born in Wichita, Kan., with two eagles over the four-day tournament. Reavie logged both his eagles in the opening round before missing Friday’s cut. Woodland hit 65.3 percent of greens in regulation, compared to just 59.5 percent of the field and carded eight birdies during the event.
South Africa’s Ernie Els used a late charge to overtake Australia’s Adam Scott to claim the Claret Jug with a 72-hole total of 273 (-7). Scott shot five over on Sunday to fall to second place with a 274 (-6). Americans Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker tied for third at 277 (-3).
Zach Johnson, who played for new Kansas men’s golf coach Jamie Bermel at Drake, finished in the top 10 with a four-day total of 280 (E). Martin Laird, who played for Bermel at Colorado State, rebounded from an 82 Saturday and closed the tournament with an even par 70.
