With the putter in his hand and ice in his veins, Patrick Cantlay delivered one clutch putt after another to survive the final three holes of regulation and six tense holes of a sudden-death playoff, finally winning with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.
He closed out his 6-under 66 with an 8-foot par putt on the 16th, an 8-foot bogey putt on the 17th after a tee shot into the water, and a 20-foot birdie on the 18th to force a playoff. Twice on the 18th in the playoff, where Bryson DeChambeau had a 30-yard advantage off the tee, Cantlay made par putts from 6 feet and 7 feet.
DeChambeau, who also closed with a 66, can pick just as many that cost him. His week featured a missed 6-footer on the 18th for a chance at 59 on Friday. And in the final round, he missed a 12-foot birdie to win in regulation, three more birdie putts in the playoff, and then his final putt to send the great theater into another amazing scene.
Cantlay received two trophies — one from the the BMW Championship, the other from the century-old Western Golf Association — and plenty of other perks for his PGA Tour-leading third victory of the season and fifth overall.
He moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup, news he met by saying, “I know.” That means Cantlay goes to the Tour Championship next week with a two-shot lead over Tony Finau in the FedEx Cup finale with $15 million to the winner.
And he clinched the sixth and final automatic spot for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Steve Stricker has six captain’s picks, and there was no way he was going to leave “Patty Ice” off the team regardless of the outcome.
