Date: March 16, 2009
Author: PA Sport and Sportal

Heartbreak for Day

American Michael Bradley birdied the final hole to pip Australian rookie Jason Day by just one stroke as grabbed his first US Tour victory for 11 years – three months after failing to survive the qualifying school. In his first tournament of 2009 the 42-year-old from Florida won the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande by a shot from compatriot Brett Quigley and Day, the 21-year-old who had shared the lead after each of the first three rounds and was still tied at the top with a hole to play. Quigley, seeking his first Tour win in 341 starts, birdied the 630-yard 18th to join Bradley and Day on 13-under-par, but then Bradley also made four on the hole to win the US$630,000 first prize. Last December Bradley and former world junior champion Day played together at the qualifying school and both returned home disappointed after finishing down in 53rd place, but given a chance to play again this week with all the main Tour stars away at the WGC-CA Championship in Miami the pair realised what a golden opportunity it was. Bradley quickly jumped into a three-stroke lead when he birdied the first hole of their final rounds and Day double-bogeyed the long second, but by the seventh they were back level and Day&aposs birdie at the short 11th took him in front as Bradley bogeyed. With four to go the youngster was still in front by one, but while he could only par the 15th and 18th, the two par fives on the back nine, Bradley birdied them both. Quigley, four adrift at the start of the day, fired a five-under-par 67 which included five birdies in the last 10 holes, but it was not quite enough. Joint fourth were Australian left-hander Greg Chalmers and 46-year-old American Bart Bryant on 12-under. Aron Price, who started the day just outside the top 10, had a disappointing two-over 74 to finish in a tie for 31st at five-under, while Matt Jones was two strokes further back and Jarrod Lyle carded a four-over round to finish at one-over for the tournament. Puerto Rico Open, Trump International Golf Club, Rio Grande -14: Michael Bradley 67 69 68 70 -13: Jason Day (Australia) 66 68 70 71, Brett Quigley 68 71 69 67 -12: Bart Bryant 67 68 70 71, Greg Chalmers (Australia) 68 70 70 68 -10: J.P Hayes 71 68 71 68, Joh Merrick 70 72 70 66 -9: Jeff Overton 69 72 70 68 -8: Joe Durant 71 72 67 70, Kent Jones 69 69 70 72, Jerry Kelly 70 68 73 69, D.A Points 70 68 72 70 -7: Jonathan Byrd 68 72 73 68, Alex Cejka 68 69 74 70, Lee Janzen 69 70 73 69, Derek Lamely 66 71 77 67, Bryce Molder 67 69 72 73, Patrick Sheehan 71 70 71 69, Chris Smith 71 71 68 71, Jay Williamson 71 70 67 73 Also: -5: Aron Price (Australia) 70 71 68 74 -3: Matt Jones (Australia) 70 64 79 72 +1: Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 71 70 72 76