Unheralded US rookie John Huh has won his first PGA Tour title in only his fifth start at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico.
Huh beat the seasoned, 40-year-old Australian Robert Allenby in a marathon playoff for theLeft Handed Ping G20 Driver
at the El Camaleon course on Sunday.
Huh, who had never competed on the US circuit until this year, had to go all the way to the eighth extra hole of the play-off before he could raise his weary arms in victory and deny Allenby a first PGA Tour win since the 2001 Pennsylvania Classic.
The leading due had finished the regulation 72 holes tied at 13-under 271, Huh having closed with a flawless eight-under 63 and luckless Allenby throwing away victory with a double-bogey at the 18th that left him with 65
"It's amazing, I can't believe it happened right now," Huh, 21 said afterwards. "It was my dream to playLeft Handed Ping G20 Driver
on the PGA Tour and now, inning a tournament. It's awesome.
"Playing an eight-hole playoff is long, and I was definitely nervous out there, trying to calm myself down. It was hard," added Huh, who came back from seven shots off the lead going into the final round.
Sunday's playoff matched the second longest on the PGA Tour.
The 1949 Motor City Open in Michigan ended deadlocked after 11 playoff holes when Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum opted to split the purse by mutual agreement.
Allenby was bitterly disappointed to miss out on a fifth PGA Tour title.
"I had this tournament in the bag, a two-shot lead with one hole to play and just played it like a rookie, pretty much," he said. "I had played Left Handed Ping G20 Driver so awesome all day.
"I putted great, I hit the ball great, and I did everything that I needed to do coming down the stretch and then to give it away at 18 is very, very disappointing."
Allenby, whose haul of eight birdies in the final round included five in a row from the par-four second, applauded the winning effort by Huh, who described himself as a Korean-American.
"John's a great player," he said. "I played Left Handed Ping G20 Driver with him yesterday, and he's got a great future. He's a young guy, and all the best to him. It's great to see him win."
Americans Matt Every and Colt Knost signed off with matching 66s to share third place at 11 under