Zurich Classic 2016: Final Leaderboard Scores, Prize-Money Payouts
Rainy weather at TPC Louisiana in Avondale forced a 54-hole Zurich Classic but didn't cut short any potential drama, as Brian Stuard, Jamie Lovemark and Byeong-Hun An needed playoff holes to determine the outcome.
Stuard ultimately prevailed, capping off a final-round three-under 69 by holding off Lovemark and An in extra holes.
Here's the final leaderboard:
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Stuard and Jhonattan Vegas held a one-stroke lead coming into the day, but Lovemark and An played their way into the playoff. Lovemark played a bogey-free round that included a stretch of four birdies between holes Nos. 7-13, while An shot seven-under par during the final round, including this clutch birdie on No. 18, per the PGA Tour:
Stuard had a clutch birdie of his own on No. 18 to join the playoff:
But the playoff could have all been for naught had Lovemark sunk his own birdie attempt on 18:
An was eliminated after the first playoff hole, finishing the hole with a bogey, while Lovemark and Stuard each parred No. 1.
So Stuard and Lovemark headed to a second playoff hole, where Stuard all but wrapped up the tournament with this brilliant approach shot:
Stuard would go on to birdie the hole, while Lovemark could manage only par, which gave Stuard his first win in 120 PGA Tour starts, per Shane Bacon of Fox Sports. He also earned an invitation to next year's Masters and a two-year exemption with the win, according to Jason Sobel of ESPN.
Oh, and a $1.26 million payday, per the Zurich Classic.
Here are the final payouts for the top finishers:
| 1 | Brian Stuard | -15 | $1,260,000 | 500 |
| T2 | Byeong-Hun An | -15 | $616,000 | 0 |
| T2 | Jamie Lovemark | -15 | $616,000 | 245 |
| 4 | Bobby Wyatt | -14 | $336,000 | 0 |
| T5 | Chris Kirk | -13 | $255,500 | 100 |
| T5 | Jason Day | -13 | $255,500 | 100 |
| T5 | Jhonattan Vegas | -13 | $255,500 | 100 |
| T8 | Patton Kizzire | -11 | $203,000 | 80 |
| T8 | Harold Varner III | -11 | $203,000 | 80 |
| T8 | Bryce Molder | -11 | $203,000 | 80 |
| T11 | Charles Howell III | -10 | $154,000 | 63 |
| T11 | Charley Hoffman | -10 | $154,000 | 63 |
| T11 | Scott Stallings | -10 | $154,000 | 63 |
| T11 | Stuart Appleby | -10 | $154,000 | 63 |
| T15 | Thomas Aiken | -9 | $112,000 | 54 |
| T15 | Chad Collins | -9 | $112,000 | 54 |
| T15 | Andres Gonzales | -9 | $112,000 | 54 |
| T15 | Will Wilcox | -9 | $112,000 | 54 |
| T15 | Spencer Levin | -9 | $112,000 | 54 |
"Playing out of the 125-150 category and then winning this week, that makes this year and next year easy, I guess," Stuard said after the playoff, per Sobel.
That was probably a bit of an understatement. John Buccigross of ESPN put Stuard's victory into context:
Stuard didn't golf like a first-time winner, however. He was brilliant throughout, as Will Gray of GolfChannel.com noted:
That run of excellence put him in rarefied air, as he became the first player to win a PGA Tour event without a bogey since Lee Trevino accomplished the feat at the Zurich Classic in 1970, per PGA Tour Media.
"My short game was awesome this week, and my putter was great," Stuard acknowledged after the win, according to Gray.
That short game earned him the satisfaction of a first PGA Tour win, the relief of a two-year exemption and the honor of participating in next year's Masters. As rainy days (and tournaments) go, Stuard will remember this one fondly.
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