Team Smith/Blixt Wins Zurich Classic In Playoff

Cameron Smith had a hunch early in the week that he and teammate Jonas Blixt of Sweden could win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The 23-year-old Australian made it happen when he hit his approach shot from 57 yards to within 2 1/2 feet and sank the birdie putt on the fourth playoff hole to turn back Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown on Monday morning at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La.

"Inside a 100 (yards), I thought that it was my strong point in my game, and kind of because it was a strong point in my game, I just kind of let it go a little bit," said Smith, whose first PGA Tour victory earned him a spot in the Players Championship next week. "Really started working hard on that again this year, and yeah, to hit a shot like that under the pump, especially when you know you've got it, was pretty cool.

"To have a putt to win on the PGA Tour, when you've been working toward it your whole life, is a completely different feeling. It felt like the longest 2 1/2-foot putt I've ever hit."

Kisner forced the playoff with a miracle hole-out, chipping in from 95 feet for an eagle on the last hole of the final round in near-darkness on Sunday evening. The eagle capped a 12-under-par 60 in the best-ball format that pulled him and Brown even with Blixt and Smith, who closed with a 64 as each team wound up at 27-under 261.

Sunday's play in the PGA Tour's first stroke-play team event since 1981 was interrupted by thunderstorms for more than six hours.

Blixt and Smith had the best chances in the playoff, missing four putts inside 11 feet before Smith finally connected with the winner.

"I felt like we're kind of similar," said Blixt, who claimed his third victory on the PGA Tour. "We joke around at times but we also get extremely serious and into it at times, too.

"I felt like we gave each other a lot of space to play our own game and I felt like our games fit each other very well on the golf course, especially when you have alternate shots. I mean, I felt like I could hit it anywhere and he would get it up-and-down, and I hope he felt the same way."

Said Brown: "The greens have just slowed down so much (from the rain). They are just hard to putt, and we just didn't adapt well, unfortunately, coming down the stretch yesterday. And then this morning, we just couldn't get anything to go."

Brown and Kisner both missed putts of about 15 feet on the final extra hole before Smith put his away.

"We had a great time, man, that was a great format," said Kisner, who missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole. "Fun to play with him in the heat. Having a chance to win is always fun. Didn't get it done, but we'll be back next year."

Copyright © 2017 TTWN Media Networks Inc. Photo: Getty Images


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