Price extends Aussie dominance on Nationwide Tour
LIVERMORE, Calif. -- Australia's Aron Price won his first Nationwide Tour title Sunday, beating J.J. Killeen with a par on the second hole of a playoff in the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship.
Price won when Killeen missed a 3-foot par putt.
"I felt terrible for him," said Price, who two-putted from 12 feet for par. "It felt like the first time I trod on a snake. It's like my body froze. ... I was certain we were headed straight back to the tee for another go."
The 25-year-old Price closed with an even-par 72 to match Killeen (76) at 5-under 283 on the difficult Greg Norman-designed Wente Vineyards course. They played the par-4 18th twice in the playoff, with both players parring the first extra hole.
"I had a couple of rough holes down the stretch but I'm proud of the way I played," Killeen said. "I'm disappointed to lose. I wish I could have holed a couple of more putts and that's all it would have taken. One more."
Price earned $108,000 for the victory a year after tying for second behind Omar Uresti. The former Georgia Southern player became the fourth Australian winner in the first six events this year, following Jarrod Lyle, Ewan Porter and Gavin Coles.
"I feel relieved," Price said. "I've been working hard on some swing changes the past months and it's good to know the hard work pays off."
Joe Daley (73) was third at 4 under, former amateur star Colt Knost (72) was 1 under, and Fran Quinn (72) and Chris Nallen (73) followed at even par.
Knost, the U.S. Amateur winner last year at Olympic in San Francisco, received a sponsor exemption. The former SMU player, also the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links winner, gave up spots in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open when he turned pro.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
