It was the story of Richard Green's remarkable season as he fell agonisingly short of winning the PGA Tour Champions points race and its $A1.5 million prize.
It took the legendary Bernhard Langer's miracle 30-foot putt on the last hole to deny Australian Green, who performed wonderfully on the final day of the season-ending Charles Schwab Championship in Phoenix on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
Needing to win the tournament to win the season-long points race, Green made five birdies on the back nine, including two on the last two holes, to shoot a six-under 65 and finish at 17 under.
That left him tied for the lead with the final pair of Langer and New Zealander Steve Alker, hoping for a playoff as they came up the 18th.
But 67-year-old Langer stepped up with his broomstick putter and swept in his long-range effort to win the tournament at 18 under, having shot a 66 - bettering or matching his age for a third straight day.
That putt meant Alker would clinch the points race battle, lifting the Charles Schwab Cup for the second time in three years after he two-putted for par while trying to force a two-man playoff and tied for second with Green.
Yet to win on the 50-and-over tour, 53-year-old Green was left to contemplate his fifth runner-up finish in a first full season that has yielded two seconds and a third in majors.
He finished third in the points race behind only Alker and Ernie Els after starting the week at No.6.
“It was a little hard getting going early, but once I sort of got the momentum on my side the back nine, it was just a matter of making the right decisions and playing my game as good as I possibly could and trying to execute the shots needed,” Green said after holing out from 20 feet for his closing birdie.
“We had a couple opportunities that I even felt let slip, but still really nice to finish the way I did.”
Langer's win was his 47th on the tour. It came just eight months after he tore his achilles playing pickleball, and meant he has won at least once for an 18th straight year.
“It’s unbelievable, I can’t describe it,” Langer said. “To win this big tournament after what I’ve been through and to make it 18 years in a row out here.”
Rod Pampling (68) was next best of the six Aussies in the 36-man field. He finished tied for fifth, eight shots behind Langer, to end up 19th in the points race.
Greg Chalmers (66) was tied 15th and ended at No.25, with Mark Hensby (67) tied 17th and No.27, Cameron Percy (68) tied 26th and No.35, and Stuart Appleby (70) tied for 33rd and No.34.
