Further Firestone frustration for Furyk
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
AKRON, Ohio, Aug 9 (Reuters) - PGA Tour veteran Jim Furyk once again tasted disappointment at Firestone Country Club after squandering a share of the 54-hole lead in Sunday's final round at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Two strokes in front overnight along with England's Justin Rose, Furyk struggled with his ball-striking for much of the day and carded a two-over 72 to finish tied for third, four strokes behind winner Shane Lowry of Ireland.
It was the 10th time out of 10 that the 45-year-old American had failed to convert at least a share of the 54-hole lead into victory at a PGA Tour event since the most recent of his 17 wins, at the 2010 Tour Championship.
"I hit the ball poorly for the last 27 holes," world number six Furyk told reporters after finishing with a seven-under total of 273 at the elite World Golf Championships event.
"I did the best I could to manage yesterday on the back nine even par. Today I had some opportunities, but really, in the middle of the round, I hit it all over the place.
"I didn't hit the ball well enough this weekend ... I covered a lot of it up with putting, and I wasn't able to do that over the weekend."
Furyk, who had been bidding to become the second oldest winner of a WGC event, after Vijay Singh (also 45) at the 2008 Bridgestone Invitational, slipped down the leaderboard with a mix of four bogeys and two birdies on Sunday.
"I had a chance to win the golf tournament today," he said. "I really wasn't frustrated. I was just trying to figure it out.
"I can take some good out of it that I'm playing well, I'm scoring, I'm getting the ball in the hole, but I need to hit more fairways and greens and give myself more looks."
Furyk has squandered two previous opportunities to win at Firestone.
In 2001, he lost a marathon playoff on the seventh extra hole to Tiger Woods. In 2012, he double-bogeyed the final hole and was edged out by fellow American Keegan Bradley after leading the tournament from the opening round. (Editing by Larry Fine)
