Keith Mitchell wanted to two-putt the par-4 18th to take the Sanderson Farms Championship to additional holes with Beau Hossler and Kevin Yu.
As a substitute, a three-putt noticed him bogey the 18th and completed T-3 at 22-under.
Dropping by one stings, however when somebody three-putts to push themselves out of a playoff, that has to sting.
“The primary putt seemed good off the face,” he mentioned in regards to the first putt he hit on 18. “Proper when it missed, I turned my head and didn’t watch the learn on the best way by, so once I acquired there, I assumed it was breaking.”
“Guess it broke left. It was going to interrupt proper again up the hill. I performed it left edge, left middle, and it simply didn’t go in.”
Mitchell struggled along with his putter. He averaged two putts per inexperienced in regulation. The previous Georgia Bulldog additionally misplaced 1.674 pictures in strokes gained placing throughout that remaining spherical.
Nevertheless, that was not the case all week. All through all 4 rounds, he picked up 5.602 pictures in strokes gained placing, the eleventh finest within the discipline.
Mitchell is often wonderful off the tee, however this week, he solely gained 0.634 pictures in Strokes gained off the tee.
“I didn’t have my finest on the again 9,” Mitchell mentioned after his spherical.
“I believe 18 was the one fairway I hit. I didn’t have my finest stuff on the finish. I hate that I completed with three putt. Felt like I grinded to the top and gave the primary putt a extremely good likelihood.”
He and Hossler battled all day. Mitchell made three birdies on the entrance 9 and yet one more on the par-4 twelfth. That birdie on 12 gave him the lead, however Hossler and Yu refused to go away.
Regardless of solely hitting one fairway on the again 9, the 32-year-old stayed in rivalry till the final gap.
“I used to be simply grinding to remain in it. I had a putt to win, and the best way I performed on the again was fairly superior,” he mentioned. “Sadly, I hit it slightly too arduous and thought it was going to interrupt slightly proper on the finish, however it didn’t. Lengthy story quick, glad I fought 71 and a half holes.”
That little mishap on the 18th not often occurs to those prime gamers, however typically it does. Golf can do this to the very best gamers.
Nevertheless, Mitchell is selecting up steam this fall. He got here into this week off a T-12 on the Wyndham Championship and a solo twelfth on the Procore Championship.
This T-3 end marks his better of the season, and it could possibly be coming on the proper time for him. Earlier than this end, he solely had three prime 10s and 11 High 25s in 2024.
Mitchell is trying to enhance his FedEx Cup rating as a lot as attainable. If he continues to play this properly, the 2019 Honda Basic winner could possibly be in a Signature Occasion or two.
He ought to transfer six spots to No. 66 from No. 72 within the FedEx Cup Fall rankings. Mitchell should get contained in the High 60 to play within the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am and the Genesis Invitational Signature Occasions.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. For extra golf protection, observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You too can observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
