Aussie Bowditch goes 37-over in WGC futility mark

Australian Steven Bowditch became the first golfer since 1983 with four consecutive rounds in the 80s at a PGA event, finishing the World Golf Championship at Doral on 37-over par on Sunday.

Bowditch, who played alone over the final two rounds in the no-cut event after the withdrawal of Brandt Snedeker with a rib injury, completed his final round in two hours and 12 minutes, finishing before the leaders teed off.

A volunteer scoreboard banner carrier following Bowditch in the final round was instructed not to post Bowditch's numbers.

Bowditch opened at Doral's famed Blue Monster course with an 81, followed up with back-to-back 80s and shot 84 in Sunday's final round to end on 37-over 325.

That's the highest score ever recorded at a WGC tournament, two strokes more than China's Huang Ming-jie at Shanghai in 2013.

But Bowditch still made $48,000 for finishing 65th.

"I shot 37 over par and still made a paycheck. All's not that bad," Bowditch said after the round.

"You don't want to play that way, but it is what it is. No one wants to play that bad, but it's just golf. That's it. I'm out here in one of the biggest events of the year, playing bad -- but I earned my right to be here."

Bowditch qualified for the elite field by virtue of his world number 78 ranking and said quitting was never considered an option.

The US PGA Tour said Bowditch is the first player to shoot 80 or worse in all four rounds at an event since Mike Dunaway in the 1983 Las Vegas Pro-Celebrity Classic, which was then a 90-hole tournament.
Source: AFP