Bill Haas successfully plays from a bunker- he was in the bunker not his ball - on the 72nd hole to win the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation
Needing to par the par-5 final hole to win the Humana Challenge, Bill Haas hit his tee shot right on top of the front lip of a fairway bunker. The only way to play right-handed was by standing on the slope of the bunker, with the ball at about hip level. He did consider hitting it left-handed, but “using the little toe of the club left-handed, the water was in play, out of bounds might have been in play, I just didn't feel comfortable doing that," Haas explained afterwards. "I have done the thing before backwards where you do it one-handed and poke it down the fairway. I almost did that." Instead he choked up on an 8-iron - “I easily could have whiffed it or could have chunked it and moved it 5 yards," Haas reflected. But he didn’t. He hit it about 75 yards down the fairway, leaving him 170 yards over water to the green. He got on the green in regulation and two putts later was the winner of the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation
Michael Putnam lead by one stroke after the first round, reeling off nine birdies in his 63 on the Nicklaus Course at PGA West. But hsi roudn got steaidly hjigehr - 67, 69 and 72 and he ended tied in 15th.
The Humana Challenge was Phil Mickelson’s first tour event of 2015. He finished in a tie for 24th.
On the second day of the Humana Challenge, playing on the Nicklaus Course at PGA West Ryan Palmer matched the PGA Tour record for the most consecutive holes at birdie or eagle. The 38-year-old Texan shot 61, the lowest round of his 957-round tour career.
Erik Compton and Bill Haas walk down the 10th fairway on the final day
Erik Compton was one of four joint leaders going into the fourth day, but a final round 70 dropped him to 10th.
