David Lynn’s remarkable second place finish in the 94th PGA Championship has seen him jump 58 places to 40th on the World Rankings, and by finishing top-four Lynn earns an invitation into next April’s US Masters.
Lynnm, 38 was competing in only his second Major after making his debut in the 2003 Open Championship.
The Stoke-on-Trent golfer posted a last round 68 for a five under par tally and eight shots behind Northern Ireland’s runaway Rory McIlroy.
David Lynn towels down before the heat of fighting his way to a shock second in his first ever US PGA. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Lynn only managed to scrap via an invitationa into the season’s final Major courtesy of his 98th world ranking but now after his storming second place result at Kiawah Island, Lynn will be heading to Augusta National next year.
Already, Lynn will qualify for the WGC – HSBC Champions event at the end of the year while his $US 865,000 prize cheque is the highest in the career of the player who’s only victory remains the 2004 KLM Open.
“I knew sort of top 10 finish would get you get me back here next year, but to be honest, somebody told me that last night, but I was thinking, well, let’s just go out and play, and I can’t control all that sort of stuff,” said Lynn.
“I’ve just got to play as good as I can.
“And I’ve just done an interview for Sky, and they’ve said this result gets you in the Masters, which is just a dream come true, obviously. If that is the case then, is it top 4, so that’s amazing, yeah.”
The PGA of America’s Kelly Elbin then said: “Also for the record, David’s only other major championship appearance was in 2003 at the Open Championship in Sandwich. Did you make the cut there?
DAVID LYNN: Yeah, I finished 50 odd, so I’ve never missed the cut in a major.
And knowing Lynn as well as we do, and having reported on his only Tour victory at the 2004 KLM Open, Lynn was asked by www.golfbytourmiss.com if his Kiawah Island result can be the incentive to further success, given he has been reluctant to even attend qualifying for either the U.S. Open or Open Championship.
“Well, you say I’m notorious for it but I actually am a bit stubborn sometimes going to qualifying, and I believe if you don’t qualify to play in a tournament outright that you shouldn’t be playing in it, and that’s something that I’ve always believed, plus the qualifying is at quite an awkward point in the year when we’ve got big tournaments going on,” he said.
“So I mean, hopefully this will open up the gates for me to get in automatically. I don’t know if it sounds daft to you, but I think if I go to a 36‑hole qualifier to qualify for an event, I feel like I half don’t belong there, whereas this week I felt that I’m in the top 100 in the world, and that’s the criteria for getting in, so I belong here.”
Well done Dave, your shout!
