FRAZER Droop has become just the third player to win his second Rich River Trainee Classic in the tournament’s 32-year history.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
The Yarrawonga-Mulwala trainee held off day one leader Travis Tatt and 2018 champion Brayden Petersen to clinch the title by a single shot, finishing the tournament on 11-under at the end of last week.
The win has made Droop nearly $3700 better off, while Tatt and Petersen took home about $1750 each.
Droop began the final day four shots clear of Tatt and six clear of Petersen, and under huge pressure saw his putting falter on the back nine — where he bogeyed and then double-bogeyed in consecutive holes.
Those two holes, along with Tatt and Petersen nailing three birdies in six holes, closed Droop’s margin of error to zero.
At the 14th tee, Tatt and Droop were tied on top, with Petersen one behind.
A birdie on the 15th put Droop back in the driver’s seat, but Petersen dug his heels in, sinking a long birdie putt on 17 to join Tatt on 10-under — one behind Droop with one to play.
The par-five 18th awaited, and as the tension and pressure reached its climax, Petersen was the first to falter — finding the water with his second shot.
Following the drop, Petersen almost played the shot of his life when his chip onto the green clipped the flag stick, but didn’t drop into the hole.
Tatt also failed to make birdie and force a playoff, meaning Droop’s par won him the Classic for the second time following on from his victory in the 2017 event.
“I am stoked,” a jubilant Droop told PGA Australia.
“I knew it was going to be close today. I said yesterday, I knew those boys were going to shoot low and that’s exactly what happened.
“I’m really proud of what I was able to do today.’’
The normally cool, calm and collected Victorian said he certainly felt the pressure being exerted by Petersen and Tatt.
“Brayden was shooting the lights out and the putts weren’t rolling in for me today, but to make that birdie on 15, particularly after dropping three shots was a big moment,’’ Droop said.
“I had the perfect yardage for a knocked down nine iron into 15 and I hit to four feet and made the putt. I knew that was a huge swing in momentum back to me when the pin was in such a tight spot.
“To win twice is amazing. There have been a lot of very good players that have won here so to only be the third person to do it in over 30 years is pretty cool and something I’m sure I’ll look back on with pride at the end of my traineeship.”
7°C