Danny Lee books his place at the Open as New Zealander secures Greenbrier Classic following four-man play-off

Danny Lee triumphed after in West Virginia two play-off holes
Lee, Canadian David Hearn and Americans Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb were locked on 13 under-par after 72 holes
Lee and Hearn began the day one shot behind overnight leaders Jason Bohn, Sean O’Hair, Bryce Molder and SJ Park

Press Association

Published:
00:06 GMT, 6 July 2015

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Updated:
01:00 GMT, 6 July 2015

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Danny Lee secured his first PGA Tour title when he triumphed after two play-off holes to win the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia on Sunday.

New Zealander Lee, Canadian David Hearn and Americans Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb were locked on 13 under-par after 72 holes at the Old White TPC and so competed in a sudden death shootout to determine a victor.

Kisner and Streb were eliminated after Lee and Hearn birdied the par-three 18th, and Lee then parred the par-five 17th and became the ninth first-time winner on the PGA Tour this season when Hearn could not follow suit.

Danny Lee celebrates after making a birdie putt on the 18th hole during his play-off at the Greenbrier Classic

Lee secured his first PGA Tour title when he triumphed after two play-off holes to win in West Virginia

Lee lifts the Greenbrier Classic title following his sudden death play-off victory

Lee held off the challenge of David Hearn, Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb to clinch the victory

Lee and Hearn began the day one shot behind overnight leaders Jason Bohn, Sean O’Hair, Bryce Molder and SJ Park and reached the summit with three-under-par rounds of 67 – the Kiwi recording four birdies and a bogey and his Canadian opponent managing five birdies and two bogeys.

The pair both had opportunities to avoid a play-off and win outright but their putts for birdies on the 18th came up short and a four-way play-off with Kisner (64) and Streb (65) ensued.

Kisner and Streb fell at the first hurdle thanks to wayward tee shots and Lee and Hearn sank long-range putts to birdie and force a second play-off hole.

David Hearn lines up his putt on the third green during the final round of action on Sunday

Hearn was unlucky when his approach shot sailed off the green and into the bunker and he could only bogey to hand his opponent the initiative.

That left Lee with a straightforward putt for par and the 24-year-old made no mistake to claim his maiden PGA Tour victory.

‘All I can say is ‘wow’ – it feels amazing,’ he told Sky Sports 4.

‘I was so close a lot of times this year and I finally did it.

‘Now I understand what winning feels like.’

Robert Streb takes a bite out of his hat as he waits to hit a shot on the 18th tee

Earlier Tiger Woods carded his first bogey-free round since 2013 when he concluded with a three-under-par 67 to finish joint 32nd.

The 14-time major winner birdied the fourth, sixth and 12th holes to move to seven under overall.

The last time Woods avoided registering a bogey in a competitive round of golf was 55 rounds ago at The Barclays in 2013 and a return to form of sorts stands him in good stead ahead of The Open at St Andrews later this month.

‘It’s the best I’ve hit it in a very long time,’ Woods told the PGA Tour website.

‘I had full control over all the clubs. … I hit it great, I had it shaped both ways, right-to-left, left-to-right. I had it all on call today.’