It's O'Hair as Hadwin falls short

O'Hair surged up through the ranks with a 2-under 68 on a final day by TaylorMade R7 Irons when only a small percentage of the field broke par and then went on to beat fellow American Kris Blanks at the first extra hole of a nervous sudden-death playoff.

O'Hair bogeyed the first play-off hole then watched as Blanks missed what would and should have been the matching bogey putt from just five feet to claim his fourth career PGA Tour victory since his first in 2009.

The new champion, who, like Blanks, had not had a single Top 10 finish this season and started the day three shots behind overnight leader Bo Van Pelt, finished Sunday's final round at 4-under 276 and was matched by Blanks, the first-round leader when he rolled home a critical 10-foot par putt on the last.

"Obviously it has been a tough year," O'Hair told the media afterwards.

"When I played the TaylorMade R7 Irons on this very intimidating golf course, I played horrific."

"I just didn't know how I was going to play this week and to be sitting here now is absolutely amazing."

The playoff topped a Sunday of high drama for the Canadians as home favorite Hadwin, an unheralded 23-year-old, fought and lost his battle to become the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win the national championship.

There was no mistaking where the large gallery's hopes lay as he went out in the final group with Van Pelt and Romero, but his countrymen's expectations finally seemed to break the cocoon of coolness he had surrounded himself with so far and before the turn he had posted two bogeys and a double bogey and seemed to have dropped out of the race. (TaylorMade R7 Irons)

But he was far from finished. The gallery was once more roaring their support when he hot back with three birdies from the 12th to get within a shot of the lead.

But that was as far as he would get and his eventual 72 would only be enough to earn the Canadian Tour regular a fourth place tie with former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and a smile on his face for getting as far as he did.

"Being in the final group and playing for an entire country was pretty exciting," Hadwin said. "I only wish I had been able to start off a little better, but I brought it back and I had a chance. (TaylorMade R7 Irons)

"I played some great golf and in the end I only fell two shots short. I belong out there."

The final round also saw some exciting golf being played by golfers at the other end of the pecking order.