There wasn’t the knockout blow required, but four Australians remain within touching distance of their US PGA Tour cards after a dour Web.Com Tour fight today.
Needing a solo top-five finish in any of the four playoff events – or a top-25 finish after the month – to ensure a 2018 card, Victorian Cameron Percy loomed large with an eagle on the 16th of the Boise Open, but couldn’t ride the momentum and finished T9 at 11 under.
Queenslander Scott Hend also looked promising early in his final round, but cooled and ultimately took a bogey up the 17th to fall to T17 at 10 under, six shots behind American winner Chesson Hadley.
West Australian Curtis Luck was the big mover on the final day, carving out seven birdies in a fine five-under-par 66 to scythe through the field to T29 at eight under, alongside New South Welshman Brett Drewitt (72) who had too many bogeys early in his round to genuinely challenge for victory.
It left the quartet in the following positions with two weeks to play: Percy is T14, Luck is 26, Hend is T27 and Drewitt 34 – effectively all still having their fate in their own hands.
The other Aussies in the finals, however, need something more substantial.
For the second successive tournament, Stuart Appleby, Matt Jones, Rhein Gibson and Jamie Arnold all missed the cut and are now T76 in the race for a card – effectively meaning a top-five finish is their only saviour.