Scott beats Moore in playoff at EDS Byron Nelson Championship

4/28/2008

IRVING, Texas – Adam Scott felt he needed to make a statement by winning Sunday. He did, though, not quite the way he wanted to do it.

After blowing the three-stroke lead he carried into the final round, Scott made a 9-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to force a playoff, then made a 48-footer playing it again on the third playoff hole to beat Ryan Moore in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Still, Scott made the clutch shots when he needed them for his sixth PGA TOUR victory after cutting short his post-Masters trip home to Australia so not to waste his good play there.

Playing the 18th hole for the third time in less than an hour, the second time in the playoff, Scott hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker to the right. But he got his approach to the front of the green, then rolled the putt over two ridges and into the cup.

Moore still had a chance to force another hole, but his pin-high putt from the fringe skimmed just past the cup.

The playoff was a fitting end after a back-and-forth Sunday duel between Scott and Moore, who finished four shots ahead of Bart Bryant (72).

Nicolas Thompson (67), Mark Hensby (69) and Carl Pettersson (69) tied for fourth at 2 under.

The playoff started with both players making pars, first at No. 18 and then at the TPC Four Seasons' signature par 3, the 198-yard 17th hole, where Moore had taken a one-stroke lead in regulation by curling in a 12-foot birdie putt.

Scott, who earned $1,152,000, missed opportunities to win on each of the first two playoff holes, leaving makable birdie putts short both times.

Moore's tee shot to start the playoff went way right into the gallery, but he made a great save to the green and was able to two-putt for par.

When they were back to 17, Scott went for the flag tucked in the right front of the green beyond the lake, and landed the ball about 10 feet from the cup. Moore was well left off the fringe, near the same area where Scott was in regulation, but both two-putted, sending them to 18 again.

Moore played for only the third time in 10 weeks, having taken some extra time off this spring instead of continuing to play through the pain of a sore shoulder and surgically repaired left hand still bothering him two years later. He opened with a 67 for a share of the lead.

Leaderboard – Final:

1. Adam Scott                    AUS  68 67 67 71 273 - 7
2. Ryan Moore                   USA  67 70 68 68 273 - 7
3. Bart Bryant                     USA  72 66 67 72 277 - 3
4. Nicholas Thompson         USA  69 72 70 67 278 - 2
    Mark Hensby                  AUS  69 67 73 69 278 - 2
    Carl Pettersson              SWE  74 68 67 69 278 - 2
7. Charlie Wi                      KOR  71 70 70 68 279 - 1
    Roland Thatcher             USA  69 68 72 70 279 - 1
    Dudley Hart                    USA  70 70 66 73 279 - 1
    Brian Gay                       USA  72 67 68 72 279 - 1
    Charley Hoffman             USA  69 68 68 74 279 - 1
    Kevin Sutherland             USA  68 70 67 74 279 - 1

Source: AP, PGA Tour