Goosen wins marathon at the International

Retief Goosen

At this tournament, a big number on a Sunday was something to savor for Retief Goosen.

The Goose overcame Brandt Jobe down the stretch and outlasted the rest of the field over 36 grueling holes to win The International and become the last of the top five players in the world to make it into the win column this season.

Goosen scored 15 points over the final two rounds to finish with 32, one better than Jobe, in the Modified Stableford scoring system, which awards five points for eagles, two for birdies, none for pars and deducts one for bogeys.

Goosen earned $900,000 for the win and got the perfect boost into next week's PGA Championship, the season's final major. "I'm feeling great, but I'm tired," Goosen said. "We started limping on the back nine and the last couple holes, I just told myself to make some good swings."

The first 36-hole finish on TOUR since September 2003 - this one played at mile-high altitude on the hilly, 7,619-yard Castle Pines course - really did turn into a complete mental and physical test.

As the day wore on, the shotmaking suffered.

Goosen put his typically methodical spin on what is often one of the more exciting events on Tour, hitting safely into the par-5 17th green for a two-putt birdie, then saving par on No. 18 with a 4-foot putt after hitting his approach into the second cut of fringe.

Jobe could have won the tournament with a birdie on 18, but his chances were hurt when he teed off into the rough. His second shot landed 30 feet away from the cup and when he left the birdie putt short, he put his hand on his hip and looked down, bemoaning the great opportunity lost.

"It was a great week and it was awesome to be here," Jobe said. "I'd just like to have that front nine over."

Jobe made four straight birdies - three to close his third round and one to start his fourth - to take a nine-point lead early in the afternoon. But he closed with four bogeys and one double bogey over the last 17 holes to wind up short of his first win on tour.

Goosen teed off into the rough on four of the final nine holes, but made seven pars, one bogey and one birdie to hang on for his sixth career win on the PGA Tour and first this season.

Maybe Goosen's best shot of the day was a simple recovery from deep grass on the par-3 16th after a terrible tee shot left him about 40 yards from the hole. Goosen pitched out to 4 feet, saved par and maintained a one-point lead.

While the finish for Jobe may have been disappointing, Brehaut wouldn't say the same. He earned $340,000 for this, his second straight top-10 finish, meaning he has almost certainly averted an 11th career trip to Q-school in the upcoming offseason.

While New Zealand professional Michael Long made the two round cut, he didn't make it to the final round and finished in a tie for 70th place.  Craig Perks missed the two round cut.

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