Best Of The Week: Jason Allred's Top 3
/Jason Allred finished T3 to record his first PGA Tour top 10 in 58 career starts, earned a top 10 exemption into the Honda Classic and hung around all day Sunday in an attempt to be just the second Monday qualifier to win since 1986.
It was his first "PGA Tour" start since the 2010 U.S. Open, and prior to that, first since 2008. He had never played Riviera before this week because the club prefers to grant access to programs that buy memberships.
Allred's wife is two weeks from having the couple’s third child when he is eligible to play the Honda. For his incredibly steady play over four days he earned $388,600. Doug Ferguson points out that Allred's check exceeds his entire career earnings on the PGA Tour.
After the round he was asked about the fun he seemed to be having coming up the 18th fairway at Hogan's Alley.
JASON ALLRED: I did, naturally I'm a competitor, I guess everyone competes in their own way, but I wanted to hit a great shot and it felt so good to hit probably my best drive of the day, my best iron shot of the day. I wanted to make that putt but in the midst of that, I realized, this is a special moment. To get to be alongside Bubba today, we were good friends growing up, we played a lot of junior golf and college golf, and he played an amazing round of golf today. It was fun to even enjoy watching him play.
But just that moment, that scene out there, I can't imagine a more beautiful place and to get to be a part of it was really special.
**Nice stuff from Jill Painter on Allred plus this inside-the-ropes anecdote:
There he stood on the tee box where eventual winner Bubba Watson — his friend and playing partner — was angry at his caddie because of an errant shot. Watson loudly exclaimed “Wrong club!” three times and kicked the club.
It was uncomfortable for fans and everyone within range of Watson’s unsportsmanlike outburst.
After Allred’s tee shot, he simply walked down the fairway smiling and chatting up the standard bearer the whole way.
“Oh yeah, Keith!” Allred said later. “He was great. He was high-fiving me the whole round.”
