Christian wins on record-equaling 9th playoff hole

August 31, 2009

Englands Gary Christian won the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic on the ninth playoff hole Sunday to equal a Nationwide Tour record.

Christian made a short birdie putt to beat Mathias Gronberg of Sweden and earn his first Nationwide title.

Everything has to end eventually, Christian joked. I needed to get into the record book somehow. To be honest, I lost count.

Christian needed only to two-putt for par from 5 feet after Gronberg made bogey.

Christian and Gronberg each started the final round at 9 under and two shots behind 54-hole leader Guy Boros. Both players shot a 64.

The playoff began and ended on the 435-yard, uphill 18th hole. The two went to the tee at 4:52 p.m. local and kept going back for more than two hours.

In the 1998 Lehigh Valley Open, Eric Booker finally beat Notah Begay III in nine playoff holes.