Furyk snaps 5-year non-winning streak

Associated Press

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.

Jim Furyk had gone 100 starts without winning, a stretch that gnawed at his psyche and challenged his confidence.

That all disappeared in uncharacteristic fashion Sunday when he won his first PGA Tour title in five years with birdies on both playoff holes to outlast Kevin Kisner at the RBC Heritage. When the winning putt fell on the par-3 17th, the typically reserved Furyk dropped his putter and punched the air.

“I think getting excited on 17 there was a lot of pent-up frustrations,” he said.

Furyk won for the second time at RBC Heritage, the other coming in 2010 in what turned out to be the best year of his career. He won two other events, including the Tour Championship, and captured the $10 million FedEx Cup.

Furyk won the 2003 U.S. Open and entered this tournament ranked 10th in the world, but he has struggled to close out events. He was 0-of-9 when leading tournaments after three rounds since that Tour Championship victory. He is 44 and always believed he’d win again.

“But I was starting to feel like this game is beating me up, and the losing hurts a lot more than winning feels good,” he said. “I think I just forget how good” it feels to win.

With that came a $1.062 million payday. For Kisner, it was his best finish on the PGA Tour.

Furyk led by a stroke when Kisner birdied the 72nd hole to force the playoff, the fourth in the last six tournaments at Harbour Town Golf Links. On the first extra hole, Kisner rolled in a second straight birdie putt on the 18th. But Furyk answered with a birdie to keep the playoff going. After Kisner missed his birdie try on No. 17, Furyk sank a 12-foot putt for his 17th career PGA Tour victory.

Furyk shot a 63 and Kisner a 64, leaving them both at 18-under 266. Third-round leader Troy Merritt was at 16 under after a 69. Defending champion Matt Kuchar (68) was at 14 under and Masters winner Jordan Spieth (70) was eight shots back.

It was an odd tournament for Furyk.

He looked as if he’d get left behind early, making 18 pars in the first round to fall five shots back. Furyk found his game Friday with eight birdies on the way to a 64. He had a 68 Saturday, yet knew he needed to fire himself as he did Friday to have a chance.

Boy, did he ever.

Furyk had six birdies on his first nine holes, including a 48-footer on the par-4 eighth that moved him in front. A bogey on the 11th dropped Furyk into a four-way tie for first, but he responded with birdies on three of the next four holes and seemed set for an easy ride.