Moore lands RM4 million jackpot

LAS VEGAS-based Ryan Moore pocketed an RM4 million  jackpot when beat countryman Gary Woodland with a  magical birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff in  the CIMB Classic at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club  Monday.
    The American’s ended tied on 14-under 274 on Sunday,  and the playoff was postponed to Monday after fading light  made play impossible.
    Moore, 30, hit an exquisite eight iron approach shot to  within three feet of the par five 18th hole at the West Course  to claim his third PGA Tour title.
    He also received playing rights on the PGA Tour for  essentially the next three years, a place at the Masters  Tournament next April plus a host of other invitations.
      Woodland, who had missed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole  on Sunday evening for the victory, missed the green in  regulation and then left his fourth shot short of the hole to  settle for the runner-up place.
    “Playing a play-off with someone like Gary, I know I don't  want it to last very long,” said a delighted Moore, who won  the top cheque in what is Asia’s first official FedExCup  event.
     “I had a great opportunity there on 18 with my third shot,  and it was just an absolute perfect number. It was 158 yards,  a little bit back up the hill, so for me that was just a perfect  slightly choked down full eight iron.
     “Fortunately it was a back right pin, too, and I like to hit a  little cut. It was coincidentally the exact shot I was working on  the range … with my nine iron I was actually as I didn't hit my  lay up quite as far as I had planned on. I was planning on  having a nine iron in and I had the eight iron, but it's  essentially the exact shame shot, and fortunately I hit it right  next to the hole.”
    The Las Vegas-based Moore said he was pumped up for the  play-off after making a crucial par save on the 72nd hole in  near-darkness on Sunday after a wonderful approach shot as  well.
     “Sleeping was not a matter of the fact that I had to come  back and play a play-off this morning and try and win a  million dollars.
    “It was the fact that I was a little bit jacked up because I just  made an amazing up and down on the 18th hole to just tie and  even get into it.
    “So I just had that little bit of adrenaline, so it was more  getting that out of the system than nerves for this morning,”  said Moore, who is ranked 31st in the world.
     Woodland, who was chasing his third PGA Tour title, was  disappointed he came up short against Moore after both  players ended regulation play on 14-under.
     “It was tough. It was a long hole, and Ryan hit a great shot  in there and obviously made a good birdie. But I thought I hit  a pretty good shot on the third, just obviously coming out of  the rough, I would have like to have been in the fairway, came  out of the rough and came up a little short,” said Wood land.
    He said he would not have hit his birdie putt any differently  on the 72nd hole during the final round which would have  sealed victory for him.
     “I'd like to make that putt. I hit it where I wanted to, it just  broke more. I can see it now, it was a little lighter out right  now, I can see it broke a little more, but it is what it is. I hit a  good putt, and it just didn't go in,” said the 29-year-old.
     One of the longest hitters on Tour, Woodland took the safety  first approach in the play-off with a long iron off the tee but  pushed his second shot into the rough. From there, he  struggled home as Moore cruised to victory.
      “I didn't think I could cover the bunkers this morning,  especially where that pin was. If the pin was up front, we  probably would have been a little more aggressive, but with  the pin in the back I didn't want to leave it short of the bunker  and have a tough third shot.  We decided to lay up and tried to  hit a good wedge in there,” he said.
    “I really enjoyed my time here. Obviously I played pretty  well, just came up one shot short.  All in all it was a great  week, something to build on, and look forward to coming  back.”