Sutton and Floyd Win Team Title on First Playoff Hole

Hal Sutton sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole Sunday to break up one of golf’s most crowded playoffs and win $55,000 first-place checks for himself and partner Ray Floyd in the Chrysler PGA Team Invitational golf tournament.

Five teams finished the 72-hole best-ball event tied at 28-under-par 260 after the final round on the par 72, 7,233-yard No. 1 course at the Boca West Club.

Tied with Sutton-Floyd were the teams of Tom Purtzer-Jim Colbert, John Fought-Pat McGowan, Gary Hallberg-Scott Hoch and Charles Bolling-Brad Fabel. PGA officials couldn’t recall a more crowded playoff picture with 10 players seeking to break a deadlock.

Seven of them missed birdie putts on the first hole before Sutton holed his. Then, Bolling and Purtzer missed to end the suspense.

“I never thought we’d win,” Floyd said. “We were finished and the others were still on the course, some of them with six holes left to play.”

The 10 players tied after regulation returned to the 200-yard par 3 15th hole, which requires a challenging drive over a huge bunker protecting a pin near its bank. Each team had parred the hole in regulation play.

“I felt confident,” Floyd said. “One thing we had going for us was playoff experience.”

Sutton has done well in playoffs this year, winning the Memphis Open and the Southwest Classic, with birdies on the first extra hole each time. Floyd credited Sutton with getting the team into the playoff by sinking a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller, winners here two years ago, finished in a tie for 23rd at 266.