A back nine collapse left John Senden counting his lucky stars to be one of just two Australians to advance to the US PGA Tour playoffs finale, the 30-man Tour Championship.
Usually ultra consistent, Senden admitted he thought he’d blown his chance of advancing with four bogeys and a double bogey in his last six holes at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Sunday.
It took horror stories from Americans Bill Haas and Kyle Stanley and a late fade by Vijay Singh for Senden to join countryman Adam Scott in the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta in two weeks when the FedEx Cup will also be decided.
It means Senden also qualifies for the first three major championships of 2013.
Fellow Australians Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Chalmers and Marc Leishman were all eliminated.
After a poor third round on Saturday, Senden stormed back into the mix with a front nine of five-under 31 at Crooked Stick in Indianapolis on Sunday to be comfortably on track for Atlanta.
But the wheels came off as the 41-year-old Queenslander covered theback nine in an ugly 42 for a round of 73 which left him outside the qualifying mark.
“When I came off the course I thought I’d really blown it, I was pretty disappointed,” Senden said.
“I played well early but couldn’t do anything right on the back nine.
“After 12 holes I knew I was in great shape but the putter went cold and I couldn’t stop the momentum going the wrong way.”
While he packed under the assumption his season was over, Haas and Stanley suffered slides over the next few hours that gift-wrapped Senden an Atlanta invitation.
Defending Fed Ex Cup champion Haas was four-over through his first seven holes and came to the 14th tee needing to play the final five in two-over or better to stay ahead of Senden.
He played them in four-over.
Stanley was riding his own rollercoaster round.
After 15 holes he had four birdies, three bogeys and a triple bogey but needed just one more birdie in the final three holes to leapfrog Senden.
He parred 16 and 17 and, despite hitting a near perfect drive down the last, he left his approach 48 feet from the cup and couldn’t convert.
When overnight leader Singh faded late into a tie for eighth Senden had officially taken up the 29th of 30 spots.
“I’ve got no nails left. My emotions were up and down all day on the course and then again afterwards with how it panned out,” Senden said.
“But despite making it through I really have to learn from it.”
