Golf Betting
Bryce Molder
It took a bit longer than expected, but Bryce Molder’s day finally arrived. The one-time college phenom broke through for his first PGA Tour victory October 9, outlasting Briny Baird in a six-hole playoff to win the Frys.com Open.
Molder was pegged for stardom after completing a stellar career at Georgia Tech, where he earned All-America honors four times. Molder made his PGA Tour debut in 2002, but was relegated to the Nationwide Tour from 2003-06.
Sunday, he joined the ranks of tour champions. Three shots off the lead heading into the final round, Molder caught Baird – himself a non-winner through 347 career events – on 17-under with a sizzling 64 at CordeValle GC in San Martin, Calif.
In the playoff, Molder and Baird matched scores on holes 17 and 18 twice in succession, then on 17 again, before Molder ended it with a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th.
“You practice and work, and you just hope there’s some validating behind it,” said Molder, who pocketed $900,000.
While the playoff was the longest on Tour this year, the Frys.com Open was notable for another reason: It marked Tiger Woods’ return to competition after a two-month layoff. Declaring his injured knee fit, Woods opened with a sluggish 73 before stringing together three consecutive rounds of 68. He finished tied 30th.
Rookie Bud Cauley claimed solo third while Shane Bertsch and Ernie Els tied fourth. It was Els’ first top-10 of the year.
The PGA Tour crosses country to Sea Island, Ga., for this week’s McGladrey Classic.
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