• St Jude Classic, Round Four

Karlsson suffers play-off heartache again

Robert Karlsson has now lost back-to-back play-offs at the St Jude Classic in Memphis © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Westwood feeling good ahead of US Open
  
• Profile: Harrison Frazar | Padraig Harrington | Robert Karlsson | Lee Westwood

Leaderboard

Robert Karlsson suffered yet more play-off agony at the St Jude Classic, losing at the third sudden death hole to Harrison Frazar on Sunday.

Karlsson lost a play-off to Lee Westwood 12 months ago, and while he continues to find the TPC Southwind course to his liking, he once again fell short in pursuit of his maiden PGA Tour title. The Swede took a one-stroke advantage into the final round, but Frazar turned the tables to lead going into the 18th, only to then hook his ball into the water as the shootout beckoned.

Both men made par at the first play-off hole, the 18th, and neither was willing to take a chance at the 11th either. It took the par-four 12th to separate them, as Karlsson failed to find the green with his approach before he failed with an up-and-down to hand victory to Frazar.

Birdies had been on offer for patient play all week in Memphis, and Karlsson is the type of analytical player who benefits from such a course. He started the decisive day with another positive performance on the front nine, finding four birdies for the cost of a solitary bogey by the turn. Meanwhile, Frazar was ensuring a fascinating two-horse race, levelling with Karlsson as they entered the penultimate hole.

The American, also chasing a maiden PGA title, carried greater length off the tee than his rival, and Karlsson had demons with which to compete after bogeying 17 and 18 the previous day. The 17th got the better of him again to leave Frazar an open route to the title, but the American pulled his nine-iron into the water to allow Karlsson to force the play-off with a tricky nine-footer.

They started on the par-four 18th to settle matters, and then moved to the par-four 12th, sharing the 11th en route. Karlsson left himself a difficult chip to set up a putt for par, and when the ball raced by the hole he could not rescue matters with a 14-footer.

The rest of the field were all playing for third place, with a yawning gap separating the top two from their rivals. Camilo Villegas produced one of the rounds of the day to finish on eight-under with a 64, level with Americans Tim Herron and Charles Howell III, as well as Japan's Ryuji Imada and South Africa's Retief Goosen.

Lee Westwood's campaign in Memphis has hardly acted as the ideal precursor to the US Open, but the world No. 2 did at least show signs of improvement on Sunday. The defending champion never threatened to retain his title all week, but he eventually finished on six-under, seven shots off the leading score.

Westwood's driving had been the major hindrance, finding less than half of the fairways in two of the opening three rounds. Over the closing 18 holes that area of his game significantly improved, and it resulted in six birdies en route to a confidence-boosting 66. The Brit could even have signed for 65, which would have secured him a tie for eighth, but he bogeyed the par-four 18th.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington brought a hint of respectability to his tally with a final-round 68. Harrington has been unable to steer clear of bogeys throughout the four days, but his iron play was as good as it has been all week on Sunday, allowing him to finish two over par.

Elsewhere, England's Brian Davis completed a forgettable week on level-par after his second 70 of the tournament.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.