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Leonard Recovers, Wins In Playoff

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The Associated Press

Published: June 9, 2008

Updated: 06/09/2008 12:22 am

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Justin Leonard won the Stanford St. Jude Championship in a playoff Sunday, holing a 19-foot birdie putt on the second hole to beat Trevor Immelman and Robert Allenby.

Leonard blew a one-stroke lead with two holes left to drop into the playoff, but won on the 150-yard, par-3 11th when Immelman pushed his birdie attempt past the hole.

It's Leonard's 12th PGA Tour title, his second at TPC Southwind and his first since the 2007 Valero Texas Open. He closed with a 4-under 68 to match Allenby (65) and Immelman (69) at 4-under 276.

Leonard earned $1.08 million and now is fifth in the Ryder Cup standings. He has not played in the Ryder Cup since 1999, when his 45-foot putt on the 17th hole at Brookline clinched the largest comeback in history.

Leonard was the closest to a birdie on the first hole of the playoff on the par-4 18th only to come up a foot short. All three parred, sending the playoff to the island green at No. 11, where each had good shots.

Allenby went first from 21 1/2 feet and missed a foot to the right. Leonard stroked in his putt next, the ball slowing near the cup to show off the Nike logo before falling in. Immelman had the shortest putt at 11 feet to push the playoff to a third hole. But he just missed, giving the title to Leonard.

NATIONWIDE: Scott Gutschewski won his second career Nationwide title, closing with a 5-under 66 for a two-stroke victory against Chad Ginn (71) and Esteban Toledo (69) in the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N.C. Gutschewski finished with a 14-under 270 at TPC Wakefield Plantation.

PGA EUROPEAN: Jeev Milkha Singh had 18 consecutive pars for a 71 to win the 54-hole Bank Austria Open in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria.

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