Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Snedeker, Weekley win Skills Challenge

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Brandt Snedeker and Boo Weekley won the Golf Skills Challenge in a playoff at The Breakers on Monday.

In the final of the worse-ball portion of the contest, Snedeker and Weekly initially tied finalists J.B. Holmes and Kenny Perry at par, forcing a playoff on the 305-yard, par-4, 14th hole.

Snedeker and Weekly, who split $314,000 in total prize money, gained an edge when Holmes' drive landed next door on the 15th tee. Holmes put them into further trouble by hitting into a trap 46 feet from the hole.

"He hits it so long it's kind of hard for him to gear down," Weekly said. "When J.D. hit it left I figured he'd kind of hit a 4-iron or 3-iron and lay back a little bit.

"It was a tough shot from over there."

The champions sank a three-foot putt to win $200,000 for the reverse scramble portion of the event. Holmes made a six-foot putt for par, but Perry's putt skimmed past the hole, ending it.

"I thought it was awesome," Snedeker said of the format. "It put a lot more pressure on you when you realize you could let your partner down besides yourself. That makes it much harder."

Snedecker and Weekley set themselves apart from the rest of the field by winning three of the first six skills challenges - the bunker shot, chip shot and trouble shot.

The other three were the long drive, mid-iron, and short iron.

In the worse-ball semifinals, also played on the 14th, Snedecker and Weekly faced Fred Couples and Hunter Mahan.

The other semifinal had Holmes and Perry against Fred Funk and Nick Price.



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