Robert Streb's PGA Tour title win proves freakish results always possible

Streb was as surprised as anyone to win last week's PGA Tour event in Georgia

Sometimes it is obvious, Dustin Johnson's Masters victory earlier this month being a prime example of when professional golf makes perfect sense.

The best player on the planet cruised to victory in one of the world's biggest tournaments. But then there are occasions when the sport is much harder to fathom, such as last week's PGA Tour win for Robert Streb.

There was a decent field assembled for the RSM Classic at St Simons Island in Georgia, including the likes of Webb Simpson, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

Streb was there as a former champion, the winner back in 2014 when the tournament was known as the McGladrey Classic. But coming in as the world's 367th ranked player he understandably commanded little pre-tournament attention.

There had been no finishes inside the top 25 for the 33-year-old from Oklahoma in any of his visits to the Sea Island Resort since his play-off victory six years ago. This reflected his overall record of indifferent results.

Streb had not made the top 125 on the PGA Tour standings for the last three seasons and in a dozen rounds prior to last week's event he had broken 70 only three times.

An unorthodox player, who employs a ten finger grip and a swing all of his own, he did not inspire confidence. It was his 165th start since that sole PGA Tour victory but, out of nowhere, he demonstrated golf's glorious random nature to a tee.

Streb proved it is not always the big guns who grab the spoils; freakish results are possible. If it is your week, your talents and hard work are sometimes not denied.

His perseverance received due reward with four rounds in the 60's, a 19-under-par total and victory at the second extra hole against fellow American Kevin Kisner.

Streb pocketed $1.188m and will receive an invitation to Johnson's Masters defence. He has secured PGA Tour playing privileges and rocketed more than 250 places in the world rankings.

Victory was sealed after bravely holing a 10-footer on the first extra hole. Then at the decisive second, Streb nearly sank a glorious 159-yard wedged approach which finished next to its target.

This after Kisner had chased down Streb's three-stroke 54-hole lead with a superb closing 63. The champion admitted it was a surprising success.

"I felt like things were starting to get a little better and I wasn't quite getting the results, but I wasn't expecting this, either," he said.

Streb's long time coach Tosh Hays paid tribute to his pupil's determination, telling the PGA Tour: "It's a lesson to staying committed to what has worked for you, even when times get tough.

"What we do, by no means would it work for every player. The most important thing is that you commit and trust what you do.

"These guys have peaks and valleys in their careers. There have been some valleys in the last couple years. I'm so proud of how he has responded."

Similar sentiments were expressed after Joachim B Hansen's maiden European Tour victory at the Joburg Open last Sunday. The Dane's triumph was another compelling story of perseverance.

This was Hansen's first completed tournament since finishing seventh at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in early October when he was a lowly 267 in the world rankings.

He then withdrew from the final round of the Italian Open after his caddie, Adam Drummond, tested positive for Covid-19.

Now he can look forward to competing with the tour's elite in the season ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month, an event limited to the tour's top 60 available players.

Hansen, 30, struggled to hold back tears after edging out the promising South African youngster Wilco Nienaber with a bogey-free closing 67. "It's quite emotional, this is what we work for," said the champion.

His fellow Dane, Europe's most recent Ryder Cup skipper Thomas Bjorn, tweeted that he was "over the moon" at the result. "What a performance from this young man!!

"Another one that through hard work has come out of problems and now fulfilling his potential."

Until Hansen won, Nienaber had provided the main talking point from last week's event in South Africa thanks to his gloriously balanced and prodigious hitting.

The 20-year-old averages 337 yards off the tee this season and took social media by storm by propelling a first-round drive an incredible altitude assisted 439 yards.

But Hansen doggedly denied him his first European Tour victory. Nienaber remains a name for the future and many wins may lie ahead.

Then again, as last weekend proved, this game is extraordinarily unpredictable and there is always the possibility of glory if you stick at it.