June 7th, 2011

Robert Karlsson suffered play-off heartbreak for the second consecutive year at the FedEx St Jude Classic as Harrison Frazar claimed his maiden US PGA Tour win in Memphis.

Frazar, who turns 40 next month, won for the first time in 355 attempts on the third play-off hole at TPC Southwind when Karlsson failed to match his par. The American looked as though he may have spurned his chance for his breakthrough success when he bogeyed the last, after finding the water with his approach, to sign for a 67 which left him level with overnight leader Karlsson on 13 under par, the Swede closing with a 68.

That gave Karlsson a second chance but like last year, when he lost out to World Number Two Lee Westwood in a play-off, the 41 year old failed to take it.

Victory for Frazar was made sweeter after he had been on the cusp of losing his Tour card, while it also ensured his first-ever appearance at Augusta for The Masters next year.

"I never thought it would happen," he said. "The last few years have been really tough. I thank my family and friends who have always believed in me."

The final pairing had never been separated by more than a single stroke throughout an absorbing final-round battle. They were deadlocked going down the penultimate hole, after Frazar had shown nerves on the 16th, when he badly pulled a five foot putt well wide to the left. But after they had traded five consecutive pars it was Karlsson who made the first major error when he sprayed his tee-shot at 17 before carding a bogey to go to the last behind for the first time in the round.

With his breakthrough success in sight Frazar initially looked composed when he drove down the middle of the 18th, but then left his approach short and it rolled into the water. Karlsson made heavy work of getting his required par to ensure the play-off, smashing his eight foot putt into the cup, but after the reprieve he again ended up on the wrong end in sudden death.

“I could not have done much more,” said Karlsson. “13 under par, round around this golf course, was good going. It just ended up being one of these days where we fed off each other and it was good fun.

“It was a great match, and someone has got to win and someone has got to lose. This time it was me. I'm very, very proud of the way I played and handled myself and there we go.”

Karlsson now heads to Congressional for the US Open Championship, looking to take his fine form into the season’s second Major.

Other’s heading to Washington with a good finish under their belts include Retief Goosen, twice a former US Open Champion, who closed with a 69 to finished joint third on eight under par with Charles Howell III, Ryuji Imada, Camilo Villegas and Tim Herron, and World Number Two Westwood, the defending champion closing with an impressive 66 to finish tied 11th at six under par 274.

Padraig Harrington finished well down the field in 52nd place but will take some comfort with a closing 68 as he looks to add the US Open title to his two Open Championship and a US PGA Championship victories.