Chattanooga Classic won by Gardiner in three-man playoff

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Scott Gardiner won the Chattanooga Classic on the fourth playoff hole.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Scott Gardiner two-putted for birdie on the fourth playoff hole to beat Joe Affrunti and David Branshaw for the title at the Chattanooga Classic. Gardiner wasted little time in stepping up for his birdie putt from two feet even though Affrunti was out, staring at an eight-foot putt for par.

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Scorecard: Gardiner
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THE 25

"You've got less time to think about it," said Gardiner, who earned his first career title. "I had hit a good putt (from 30 feet) to get it down there and I figured if I make it everybody gets to go home a little earlier. It was a short putt and if Joe missed I didn't want him to lose with a bogey."

It was the fourth time Sunday afternoon that Gardiner birdied the hole.

Playing in the next-to-last group, Gardiner rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on the final hole for a 6-under 66 and a 19-under 269 total. Branshaw and Affrunti matched him with two-putt birdies of their own to force the fourth playoff in the tournament's eight years.

"I knew those guys were 18-under playing the last hole," said Gardiner, who blasted his third from a greenside bunker at the 532-yard, par-5. "I tried to hit a good putt just like I did all week. I gave myself a shot at it and it was the best putt I've ever made."

Affrunti and Gardiner both birdied the same hole twice to start the playoff. Branshaw was eliminated on the first extra hole after hitting his second shot into a hazard and settling for par. Gardiner then missed a five-foot birdie putt at the par-4, 9thhole, forcing the two to return the par-5.

Affrunti's second shot found the same hazard guarding the right side of the green that eliminated Branshaw and had a putt for par but never got the chance.

"I just flared my shot and didn't stay in it," said Affrunti, who hit a hybrid into the green. "I did the same type of thing earlier in the week but it stayed in the bunker. It was just a bad shot."

Affrunti, the second- and third-round leader was in control most of the last round and had built his lead to four strokes with an eagle at the par-5, 6th hole. The 29-year old Chicagoan stumbled with a double-bogey on the next hole but managed to hold the lead until another double-bogey at No. 13 dropped him behind Gardiner and playing partner Branshaw.

The drama built over the last five holes of regulation, with all three players making two birdies down the stretch.

"I really didn't think about winning," said Gardiner, who was five shots off the pace when the day began. "There were a lot of guys around my number that were playing well this week. I was just trying to have the best finish I could."

His "best finish" produced a winner's check for $90,000 and vaulted the 34-year old Australian from No. 62 to No. 24 on the money list with only two full-field events left before the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship.

"It's a lot easier than being 62 on the list and on the cut line on a Friday," said Gardiner, clutching the large crystal. "It's great job security knowing I'll be good for a few years down the road. Hopefully I can play like the next few weeks and go forward."

The 25 leading money winners at the end of the year will earn their PGA TOUR cards for 2011.

Fourth-Round Notes:

• This was the fourth playoff in the tournament's eight years -- 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

• This was the second-longest playoff in tournament history. Jason Schultz needed six holes to defeat Joe Daley, Jerry Smith and Scott Weatherly in 2005.

• This was the fourth playoff on Tour this year -- ending a streak of 12 consecutive weeks without a playoff.

• This was the first three-man playoff on Tour since the 2007 Mark Christopher Charity Classic on Oct. 7. Richard Johnson defeated Matthew Jones and Jeremy Anderson for that title.

• Hometown favorite Luke List shot a 3-under 69 today and wound up T33. List, who attended the Baylor School and played his high school matches on this course, had two eagles today on par-5s (Nos. 5, 14).

• Brian Vranesh finished his round E-B-B-B-B for a 1-under 71 today. Vranesh started his closing run after a triple-bogey 7 at the par-4, 13th hole. He finished T43.

• Canada's Bronson La'Cassie had three eagles this week. La'Cassie had only two eagles in his previous 58 rounds this year.

• Jason Gore had a pair of back-nine eagles today, giving a total of 4 for the week. Gore eagled the par-5 14thand 18th holes for a 6-under 66. He ended the week at 14-under par and T16, his best finish on Tour this year -- previous best was a T27 at the Cox Classic in Omaha.

• Patrick Sheehan had a solid weekend, shooting scores of 65-66. He closed out his round with a pair of eagles on the back nine (Nos. 14, 18) for a 6-under day. Sheehan wound up at 16-under par and T5.

• First-round leader Todd Demsey shot a 10-under 62 on Thursday. He finished at 9-under for the week, posting rounds of 75-71-71 after his opener.

• Daniel Summerhays finished T16 this week and continues to close in on Blake Adams' 2009 record for most money won in a single season without winning a tournament. Adams pocketed $399,749 last year without getting to the winner's circle. Summerhays, who has three runner-up finishes this season and is No. 4 on the money list, has earned $376,742 and trails Adams' mark by $23,007.

• More on Summerhays -- he missed the cut in five of his first six starts this year, was a cumulative 2-over par and had a scoring average of 71.285 in those six events. Starting at the Stadion Classic at UGA in early May, Summerhays has made the cut in 14 of his last 17 starts, is a cumulative 171-under par and has a scoring average of 68.572 over that stretch.

• Another note on Summerhays, his final-round, 2-under 70 marked the 10th straight time that he has posted a sub-par score in the closing round. He ranks No. 14 in final-round scoring average this year.

• With only two full-field events left on the 2010 schedule, here is a comparative look at how the 25th place on the money list has changed the past few weeks:

• There are two full-field events left on the 2010 schedule after this week -- the Miccosukee Championship near Miami and the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. The season ends with the top-60 money winners competing at the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island, Oct. 25-31.