Pettersson binges on birdies for Open win

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This article was published 26/07/2010 (5848 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — Once Carl Pettersson followed up his near 59 to complete a run from Friday’s cut line to the 2010 RBC Canadian Open title, a real challenge was in the works.

The newly minted four-time PGA Tour winner was not quite ready to leave St. George’s Golf and Country Club by 7 p.m. ET, but the 32-year-old’s only flight option home, according to his caddy, departed from Buffalo International Airport at 10 p.m.

At least Pettersson had a recent history of performing impressive feats before attempting to make a two-hour drive, clear customs at the border and be on a plane in three hours.

Literally the last man on the leaderboard early Saturday, Pettersson captured the 101st playing of the world’s third-oldest national open with a final-round 3-under-par 67 that gave him a 14-under 266 total, good enough for a one-stroke victory over third-round leader Dean Wilson.

"I call myself a mutt," the roly-poly Swede said after the win. "I’m not your typical Swede, as you can tell. I don’t have a 28-inch waist. I don’t eat bananas at the turn. Stuff like that."

It’s pretty much the way Pettersson, who looks less like a PGA golfer than renowned bar stool occupant Norm Peterson of Cheers fame, wants to be.

"After 2008 I had one of my best seasons on tour, I think I finished 16th on the money list or something, I kept thinking what am I going to do to get better?" he said. "Obviously I was overweight. I thought ‘Well, I’ll get fit.’ So I actually lost 30 pounds and my game completely left me. I guess the timing of the swing and everything was thrown out, and I really struggled in ’09. I’ve played fairly well this year, not great, but I’ve had moments of doing good stuff, and I don’t know. You know, I’d love to be fitter, but I’m not going to go down that road again."

At the turn Wilson, Mike Weir’s former roommate, had the same four-shot lead he’d held entering the day, but bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes cost him dearly as Pettersson opened his back nine with four birdies over a six-hole stretch, more or less ending Wilson’s bid.

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