John Huh wins Mayakoba Golf Classic

John Huh of the USA came through an epic eight-hole playoff to beat Australia’s Robert Allenby in the Mayakoba Golf Classic at El Camaleon in Mexico.

John Huh wins Mayakoba Classic (Getty Images)
Fergus Bisset
By Fergus Bisset
published

John Huh of the USA came through an epic eight-hole playoff to beat Australia's Robert Allenby in the Mayakoba Golf Classic at El Camaleon in Mexico.

Allenby should have won the tournament in regulation play but the Australian blew a two-shot advantage on the final hole. Taking a driver from the tee he blasted it into the trees on the right hand side of the hole. He struggled to recover from there and eventually posted a double bogey, dropping him back into a tie with John Huh.

The pair headed for extra holes where John Huh, a 21-year-old Tour rookie, made eight straight pars to eventually see off the veteran Australian.

"It's amazing," Huh said. "It's my rookie year, especially, and playing in my fifth event on the PGA TOUR. I just couldn't put it in words. ... It's really hard to explain this. It's major. I mean, it was my dream."

After three rounds Huh lay seven shots back of Daniel Summerhays, but a superb closing 63 saw him roar up the leaderboard. Allenby also played an excellent final round, he carded a 65 despite the double on the home hole.

"I played so awesome all day," he said. "Obviously I'm disappointed. I mean, I had this tournament in the bag, a two-shot lead with one hole to play and I just played it like a rookie."

Third round leader Summerhays suffered a poor final day, his 73 dropped him into a share for fifth. Matt Every and Colt Knost both fired solid 66s to move into a tie for third place.

Mayakoba Golf Classic El Camaleon, Riviera Maya, Mexico Feb 23-26, purse $3,700,000 par 71 1   John Huh (USA)      67   70   71   63   271   $666,000 2   Robert Allenby (Aus)   69   67   70   65   271   $399,600 T3   Matt Every (USA)      67   71   69   66   273   $214,600 T3   Colt Knost (USA)      69   71   67   66   273   $214,600 T5   Alejandro Canizares (Esp) 67   72   69   66   274   $129,963 T5   Dicky Pride (USA)      68   72   68   66   274   $129,963 T5   Chris Stroud (USA)   69   66   68   71   274   $129,963 T5   Daniel Summerhays (USA) 69 65   67   73   274   $129,963 T9   Michael Allen (USA)   68   71   66   71   276   $99,900 T9   Will Claxton (USA)   66   68   71   71   276   $99,900 T9   J.J. Henry (USA)      72   69   68   67   276   $99,900

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

Where next? WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship - Mahan beats McIlroy in final

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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