Hoch "finally" wins The Doral

MIAMI, March 10 (UPI) -- Scott Hoch, who declined to continue his playoff with Jim Furyk Sunday in semi-darkness, was vindicated when he birdied the third extra hole to win The Doral.

Hoch did not putt at the second extra hole on Sunday at the Doral Resort's Blue Monster. He sank his winning putt from six feet for his 11th PGA Tour victory, worth $900,000.

"I think everyone just made too big a deal out of it," Furyk said. "It got dark last night. It's dark. You go back out."

Twice in the past few months, playoffs have been halted in similar situations in fading light, and co-winners were declared.

It happened at the Volvo Masters on the European Tour in November, where Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer shared the title, and at the Australian PGA Championship a few weeks later, where Peter Lonard and Jarrod Moseley were declared co-champions.

It is believed the last time co-champions were declared on the PGA Tour was in 1949.

At 47, Hoch became the oldest player to win a tour event since Tom Watson won the 1998 Colonial at 48.

When play resumed at the par-five first at 8 a.m., Hoch and Furyk both had birdie putts. On carpet-smooth greens, Hoch calmly knocked in his downhill eight-footer, and he was followed in by Furyk from six feet.

They continued to the par-four 18th, where Hoch split the fairway and then hit a lovely approach shot. After Furyk missed his long birdie chance, Hoch drained his dead center.

"I guarantee you I wouldn't have been able to do that (Sunday) night," Hoch said. "I guess there are advantages to being old. You can go back to what you've done in the past. I feel sorry for the fans, but I felt it was best for me and best for us (to discontinue play Sunday night), for Jim and I to come out and play when both of us could see. It ended up being the right decision for me."

"I hit a good putt on the first hole," Furyk said. "Scott just played great this morning. There's not much I can do about it."

Fans who had watched the thrilling conclusion to regulation play as well as the first playoff hole booed when it became obvious that the tournament would not be finished Sunday as dark fell at the Doral Country Club.

Hoch shot a 69 Sunday and Furyk had a 68 to leave them tied at 17-under 271. Both made scrambling pars at the final hole of regulation, and Furyk again had to get up and down from the rough to save par at the first playoff hole, the 18th.

Hoch has had two eye surgeries over the past two years.

"I can't differentiate the way the green is breaking," Hoch said Sunday night. "I could putt it based on the way I think it will break, but I would rather putt it based on what I can see rather than what I think. It would have been tough for me to see even before I had all my problems. I want to get home and see my family, too, but there is too much riding on this not to give it your best shot."

"I feel badly for the fans," Furyk said. "They wanted to see the tournament's finish, and they can't come back (tomorrow), but I have no animosity with the decision."