Streelman's clutch birdie locks up $1 million bonus in style
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Even a guy who just won a World Series ring was suitably impressed with the clutch execution he had just witnessed.
Moments after he had yanked his approach shot into the bleachers -- he used to play in Fenway Park after all -- big-league outfielder Johnny Damon watched as one of his professional playing partners delivered something akin to a golf version of a walk-off home run.
Damon, who two weeks ago helped the New York Yankees win the world title, watched as second-year PGA Tour pro Kevin Streelman birdied the 17th hole on the Magnolia Course at the Children's Miracle Network Classic on Thursday to cement a $1 million season-long prize.
Streelman knocked a sand wedge from 117 yards to 3½ feet and rolled in the putt -- Damon had yanked his shot into the bleachers a moment earlier -- to win the inaugural Kodak Challenge.
Watching Damon's screaming foul ball helped relieve whatever pressure Streelman was feeling.
"He scorched it," Streelman smirked. "I think it helped, because we were laughing so hard."
Damon, playing in the pro-am as an amateur, gladly picked up his own ball and stepped aside as Streelman made what felt like a tournament-winning putt. In actuality, Streelman won more with the 42-inch putt than Sunday night's tournament winner will receive.
"I was going to play my ball that was in the grandstands, but I was like, he's got to concentrate," Damon said. "So I was like, let him do his thing."
Streelman had entered the Disney portion of the cumulative contest, staged over 30 holes at designated events in the 2009 season, with a two-shot lead. It would have taken a miracle eagle on the par-4 17th from runner-up Bo Van Pelt to catch him, but Streelman took care of business with a birdie to nail down the winner-take-all prize.
"I did want to close it out in style," Streelman said. "Was there probability that Bo would hole out to tie me? Of course not, but I like the way it happened."
Said caddie Michael Collins: "We wanted to win it, not so much back into it, not have somebody else decide our fate for us."
Streelman knew he had striped the shot, then heard the affirmation from fans in the stands, which including several Kodak corporate bigwigs.
"I heard the screams and I was hoping it was a kick-in," he laughed.
Streelman jumped into contention in the yearlong contest, staged for the first time this year, with an eagle at the John Deere event in July and began adding tournaments in an attempt to retain his lead. He played in the entire Fall Series. Disney is the tour's season finale.
Streelman, a struggling mini-tour pro five years ago with $400 in his checking account, won more money with the birdie than he has earned to date this season, $995,017.
"It's great," Damon said. "I mean, he buried it. It was great playing with Kevin, especially when he was ready to make that putt. I'm very happy for him."
