Vaughn Taylor captures first Champions title, wins Furyk & Friends in playoff

VAUGHN Taylor birdied the second playoff hole to defeat Germany's Alex Cejka and win his first PGA Tour Champions title at the Constellation Furyk & Friends on Sunday in Palm Coast, Fla.

After the players parred the par-4 18th on the first playoff hole, they replayed the hole at the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach. Taylor stuck his approach shot about 6 feet from the cup and rolled in the ensuing birdie putt with ease.

Taylor, in his first season on tour after turning 50 in March, had three top-10 finishes across August and September but never better than a T7 before his breakthrough this weekend.

"I was just trying to, you know, tell myself to hang in there," Taylor said. "You know, don't give up; stay strong. You know, trying to calm my nerves. But I just wanted to finish strong and not give it away or do something stupid and lousy. Just kept fighting, trying to keep my emotions in check."

Taylor began the day three shots behind leader Mathew Goggin of Australia. He rolled in five straight birdies at Nos. 10-14 on his way to a 4-under-par 68 to tie Cejka at 17-under 199.

"That's the biggest thing in golf, is just momentum," Taylor said. "I mean, momentum is everything in this game. It can help you and hurt you, and just if you get a couple in a row or just get things going in a positive direction it can completely flip your pessimistic mind and it can turn that off."

Cejka had shot his second straight round of 65 and finished his bogey-free day by birdieing No. 18 to take the clubhouse lead at 17 under.

He and Taylor had to wait and watch Australian Michael Wright, who took the outright lead at 18 under after birdieing Nos. 15 and 16. Wright needed par at the last hole to win in regulation, but he needed to take a drop after two poor shots.

He failed to save bogey, which would have put him in the playoff at 17 under, and carded a double-bogey 6 instead. Wright (69) finished alone in third at 16 under. Ben Crane (65), Argentina's Angel Cabrera (67), Ryan Armour (69), Australia's Rod Pampling (72) and Goggin (73) tied for fourth at 15 under.

Cejka said he wasn't envisioning a playoff when he stepped off the 18th green, as Wright was still ahead.

"You are always disappointed if you lose in a playoff. (But) today was a great day. Gave me a lot of chances," Cejka said. "I started like, I don't know, eighth, 10th position, so to make it all the way to the playoff, I'm very satisfied. To lose against a birdie, there is nothing you can do."

Taylor is projected to rise 16 spots to No. 21 in the Charles Schwab Cup points race with one tournament left in the regular season. Following next week's SAS Championship, the top 72 players will advance to the first leg of the three-week Schwab Cup playoffs.

Goggin, who had to play his way into the field via qualifying on Tuesday, may have come up short of winning but will get a valuable boost to No. 74 in the points race, giving him a chance to make the playoffs. — REUTERS