Nick Watney In The Bag: CIMB Classic Winning Clubs

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Nick Watney captured his second win in eight weeks at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia with a stunning final-round 61 and a little help from his wife Amber.

Mrs Watney had to step-in during the first round after Watney’s caddie, Chad Reynolds, was taken to the first aid tent with dizzy spells.

With her help, the American made a par down the 18th and went on to win by one from Bo Van Pelt. Tiger Woods fired a closing 63, his second lowest round of the season, to finish three back in tied-fourth.

Watney came from four shots behind in Kuala Lumpur and a last-hole birdie would have given him a magical 59, but a bogey cost him a place in the history books.

Van Pelt also needed a birdie at the last – this time to force a play-off – but he too failed to capitalise and so Watney claimed the £807,000 first prize.

A resurgent Woods recorded six birdies in his first 10 holes but, by the time he picked up more shots at the 16th and 17th, Watney had moved clear.

“I’m very pleased with the way I played. I hit the ball well and hit a bunch of putts today too. So overall it was a good day. I had to shoot nine under today just to have any kind of a chance. Yesterday’s nine holes put me in a spot where I couldn’t win the championship,” said Woods.

Woods will now play a one-round exhibition match with world number one Rory McIlroy in China on Monday.

Of her intevention, Amber Watney said: “I was behind the ropes watching the round and Nick just called me over and said, ‘Chad’s going to go to the first aid tent’. I said, ‘I’ll carry the bag’. Nick was like, ‘Are you sure?’ I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, it was just that hole… So I just carried the bag. Luckily I was wearing tennis shoes that day.”

She added: “I’ve never done it before. My dad is a caddie out on tour so Nick was telling me, it’s in the blood, in the blood. I put in my application for Friday’s round and I was denied, but I was OK with that.'”

Watney parred the hole for a first round of 71, and used a replacement caddie for Friday’s second round. Reynolds, after treatment with an intravenous drip, returned for the weekend and helped Watney to a one-shot win.

“We had a friend of his caddie for me on Friday, and then he felt good enough to go. He said he didn’t fly 24 hours to just sit in his room all weekend,” said Watney, adding that Reynolds made some “big” calls on the last day.

“He definitely helped me. And it’s good just to have somebody you’re comfortable with coming down the stretch,” he said.

Watney’s only bogey on Sunday, denying him the chance of a hallowed round of 59, was on the 18th – ironically, the hole his wife helped him par. The win comes as an early present, as the pair will celebrate their second wedding anniversary on Tuesday.

Here are the clubs that Watney used to win in Malaysia: 

Driver: Titleist 913D3 (10.5°) with a Mitsubishi Diamana White Board 83X shaft
Fairway Woods: Titleist 910F (15°) with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 93X shaft; (19°) with Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 8.2 shaft
Irons: Titleist 712 AP2 (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (54°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
Putter: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Newport GSS prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

 

 

 

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