Stephen Ames wins Children’s Miracle Network Classic

Canada’s Stephen Ames came through a playoff against Justin Leonard and George McNeill to win the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World.

Stephen Ames
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Canada's Stephen Ames came through a playoff against Justin Leonard and George McNeill to win the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World.

It was Ames' fourth career PGA Tour victory and his first since taking this title back in 2007. The 45-year-old played an excellent closing round of 64 during which he coped manfully with the lightning fast greens on the Magnolia Course at Disney World.

He posted the clubhouse target then watched on as McNeill, Leonard, Nick O'Hern, Justin Rose and Mathias Gronberg failed to get past him.

Leonard looked like he would do it. On the 18th hole of regulation play he began pumping his fist in celebration as his birdie effort seemed destined for the cup. But it lipped out meaning three were tied on 18-under-par.

On the first extra hole, also the 18th, Leonard left his first putt woefully short then left his second putt short as well. A bogey five meant he was eliminated.

"To be this close and not be able to pull it out is disappointing," Leonard said.

At the second extra hole, putting cost McNeill the title. He was left with a six-foot putt to force a third playoff hole but it horseshoed out of the cup and the title went to Ames.

"It made a full 360," McNeill said. "It went down in the hole, and then it spit back out."

Children's Miracle Network Classic Disney's Magnolia & Palm Courses, Lake Buena Vista, Florida Nov 12-15, purse $4,700,000, par 72

1    Stephen Ames (Can)    69    70    67    64    270    $846,000 T2    Justin Leonard (USA)    68    64    71    67    270    $413,600 T2    George McNeill (USA)    68    66    69    67    270    $413,600 T4    Nick O'Hern (Aus)    68    70    66    67    271    $206,800 T4    Justin Rose (Eng)        65    69    69    68    271    $206,800 6    Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 68    69    66    69    272    $169,200 T7    Brian Davis (Eng)        72    69    68    64    273    $151,575 T7    D.A Points (USA)        71    70    67    65    273    $151,575 T9    Zach Johnson (USA)    67    70    69    68    274    $131,600 T9    Carl Pettersson (Swe)    71    66    67    70    274    $131,600

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist golf ball usage only

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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