Rollins wins playoff after Lancaster collapse

No one will ever confuse the Canadian Open for the Open, although Sunday's finish at Angus Glen looked a lot like 1999 at Carnoustie.

John Rollins played the role of Paul Lawrie, closing with a bogey-free 65 to sneak into a playoff that never should have happened, and winning for the first time on the PGA Tour with a 20-foot birdie on the first extra hole.

"It's amazing," Rollins said.

He owes that opportunity to Neal Lancaster, who had the trophy in hand until one mistake after another led to a double bogey on the 72nd hole.

"I guess I know how Jean-Claude van Damme feels, or whatever his name is," Lancaster said. "I blew the golf tournament. I gave it away on the final hole."

Lancaster couldn't even get the name right.

It was Jean Van de Velde who produced one of golf's most shocking collapses by making a triple bogey on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie that cost him the British Open.

This wasn't as memorable. The Canadian Open isn't nearly as prestigious. That didn't make it any easier for Lancaster to stomach.

He had a two-stroke lead over Rollins and Justin Leonard, both in the clubhouse at 16-under 272. Lancaster's tee shot found the fairway, 183 yards from the hole. He had a 6-iron in his hands. He had only missed two greens all day.

"I pretty much thought the golf tournament was over if I could make just one decent swing," Lancaster said. "Made a horrible swing."

The ball finished 35 yards left of the flag, in thick rough behind a bunker. He chipped onto the green and into a valley, about 40 feet away. He still needed just two putts to win for the first time since 1994, a stretch of 265 tournaments.

The first putt went 4 feet by. The next one slid past on the right. Stunned, he bowed his head and rubbed the back of his neck. It was his only three-putt of the tournament.

"It wasn't meant to be, I don't guess," said Lancaster, who finished with a 72. "I don't think I'll ever forget that I blew the Canadian Open on the last hole."

Leonard was involved in both shocking finishes.

He bogeyed the 72nd hole at Carnoustie by hitting into the Barry Burn and still wound up in a playoff. Only one stroke behind Lancaster, Leonard's 6-iron into the 18th at Angus Glen was all over the flag - in fact, way over the flag.

It bounced against the grandstand, Leonard took a drop and missed a 10-foot par putt to finish with a 69.

"I was probably a little more prepared for this than I was at Carnoustie because that was such a shock," he said. "But it certainly catches you off guard."

Rollins played like he had been there before in the playoff. His tee shot was pure, and his 7-iron landed 20 feet left of the pin.

Lancaster followed his worst iron shot of the day with his second-worst, going left into the bunker and barely getting onto the green. His par putt lipped out.

Leonard hit his 50-foot putt from the fringe about 3 feet by the hole. He could only watch as Rollins' winning putt slid in the right side.

"I was shaking in my boots," Rollins said.

He raised his arms and hugged his caddie when the putt fell. Rollins won $720,000, enough to get him into the $5 million World Golf Championship event in Ireland later this month.

The key proved to be the 18th hole in regulation.

Lancaster made double bogey. Leonard dropped a crucial shot. Rollins also was in trouble, hitting into the left bunker. He blasted out to 12 feet and holed the par putt, not knowing how crucial it would be.

"Even then, I didn't think I had a chance to win," Rollins said. "I knew I was just going to have a good, solid finish, probably second or third. We managed to do a little bit better."

Rollins became the 13th player this year to capture his first PGA Tour win.

He never could have guessed how it would happen.

"I don't wish anything bad on anybody," he said. "It's got to leave a bad taste in his mouth. I'm just more excited for myself that I was able to handle the pressure and do what I needed to win. It's just unbelievable"

Steve Flesch made the first run at Lancaster, getting within one stroke until two holes stopped his momentum. His wedge into the par-5 ninth hit the flag and caromed 25 feet away, costing him an easy birdie. Two holes later, he three-putted from 10 feet.

Flesch had a 70 and tied for fourth at 273 with Greg Chalmers (71).

Jeff Sluman had a 70 and tied for ninth, but made enough money to move into the top 30 on the money list and qualify for the American Express Championship in Ireland.

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