Posts tagged Ben Crane

Four months ago when the Golf Boys debuted their single, “Oh, Oh, Oh,” their YouTube success didn’t translate to success on the golf course. Ben Crane, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler couldn’t buy a win.

Over the last two weeks, it seems as if the Golf Boys are a hot topic once again and this time not for their singing, but for their playing.

Rickie Fowler started the trend with his win at the Korea Masters last week and Ben Crane took the reigns and kept the Golf Boys on the winning track, defeating new money-list leader Webb Simpson in a two-hole playoff at the McGladrey Classic on Sunday.

The win for Crane was not a blow-out like Fowler’s, but almost an aberration. With his wife, Heather, expecting their third child to be born in the coming week and a sore left hip, Crane considered withdrawing before his pro-am tee time on Wednesday, but decided to continue because some new swing tips he had recently implemented.

While the McGladrey annually boasts one of the strongest fields in the Fall Series, Crane said he had caught up with Graeme McDowell about why he was in the field as well.

“We both just kind of said, you know what, it’s kind of been a down year on our golf, and we’re both just trying to find a little form,” Crane said. “I just thought ‑‑ yeah, I’d just like to put some rounds together.  I’ve been working with my coach out in San Diego, Greg Rose at Titleist, and we kind of came across some things that really helped, and so we thought, you know what, let’s just get some rounds in and just see if it is, in fact, better or if it’s more of the same.”

It was better. Despite coming into the final round five shots back of the lead, Crane gave himself a number to shoot for and went out and did it, even if he was skeptical if it was realistic or not.

“We kind of figured something like an 8-under or 7-under might have an outside chance,” said Crane. “But we talk like that, as golfers, all the time. And it’s ridiculous! Because it doesn’t happen, you know?”

However, Crane did make it happen shooting a 7-under par 63 on Sunday. But as late as the eighth hole, Crane still didn’t look to be in contention, sitting six strokes back with 11 holes remaining.

Crane went on a tear, birdieing holes 8-11 before dropping a stroke on the par-3 12th hole. No matter. Crane rallied off four more birdies on holes 14-17 to put him at 7-under for the day and 15-under for the tournament.

Ahead of Crane, birdies were not as easily attained for Simpson and Michael Thompson. Simpson shot 4-under 66, but couldn’t biridie any of his final seven holes that would have put him a shot clear of Crane. Thompson made three early birdies, getting to 16-under through 65 holes, but he shot 2-over on the back nine that included a bogey on the 72nd hole to miss out on the playoff.

Unaware of where he stood until the 16th tee, Crane found himself two back with three to play. With birdies on 16 and 17, Crane waited around and found himself in a playoff with Simpson.

After a pair of pars on the 18th hole, the two retreated to the par-3 17th. Crane overcooked his first putt from 20 feet, putting it five feet past the hole with Simpson sitting three feet  for par. Crane knocked in his putt and prepared to go to the next playoff hole, but Simpson lipped out his tap-in and Crane had won, unbelievably.

“As soon as I hit it, I looked up expecting it to be going in, and saw it catching the right lip,” Simpson said.

Crane expected him to make it, too and when he got into the press room for his post-round media meet, he said, “what the heck am I doing here?”

Things only got better for Crane who welcomed his daughter into the world Monday afternoon after his unlikely win.

“The baby’s middle name has got to be McGladrey or Frederica, Sea Island,” Crane joked. Instead, Crane tweeted out yesterday, “It’s a girl!!!! Saylor Mackenzie Crane 7.6 lbs Momma and baby are doing great!! #best24hourseverthankyouLord“

Crane won $720,000 for the victory and jumped 27 places in the world ranking, up to No. 50.