UC-Berkeley Alum James Hahn Wins First PGA Tour Event
It was no easy feat, but the Bay Area’s own James Hahn fought his way to a hard-earned victory in the Northern Trust Open, held at the Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades, California. The first-place finish marked the 33-year-old’s first career US PGA Tour win.
After four complete rounds and 72 holes, there was no decided winner, as Hahn, Dustin Johnson and Paul Casey sat even at the top of the leaderboard at six-under par. The three marched into a playoff, where the first hole would end with the same result, as all three men made par.
At the next playoff hole, the difficult 10th hole, Hahn and Johnson both made birdies, while Casey missed his own birdie putt attempt to knock him out of the running for the trophy. The next hole was the par-three 14th, where both men sat on the green with a birdie attempt to potentially send them to another sudden-death matchup.
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Hahn nailed his own 25-foot putt, pumping his fist in excitement. That jubilation would be short-lived, however, as Johnson had a 12-foot attempt, which Hahn couldn’t watch, keeping his head down instead. When the crowd groaned as the putt sailed wide, Hahn knew that victory was his.
“This is amazing,” Hahn told Doug Ferguson. “I never would have thought I would win this tournament.” The 297th ranked golfer in the world had finally won in his 65th career PGA Tour event, and 11th this season.
Hahn started the weekend strong, shooting a five-under par 66 in the first round, putting him in a six-way tie for the lead with big name golfers like Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen. The second round was not so kind to Hahn, as he shot a 74, three shots over par, leaving him two-under for the tournament.
He bounced back in the third round, shooting under par again, this time a two-under 69 to put him at minus-four through three rounds, and in good shape heading into the final day. On Sunday, Hahn started well again, and finished regulation matching the previous day’s two-under par, putting him six-under for the entire weekend, tied for the lead, just as he was after day one.
Feb 22, 2015; Pacific Palisades, CA, USA; (Editor
Hahn, as well as Johnson and Casey, were aided by Sergio Garcia’s rough finish. Garcia walked onto the 17th hole with a one-shot lead, but would bogey each of the final two holes, letting the potential victory slip from his grasps, and eventually, right into Hahn’s.
Though he was born in Seoul, South Korea, Hahn attended University of California-Berkeley, where he would play for the Golden Bears’ golf team. Upon graduating in 2003, Hahn turned pro. He stills resides in Alameda, California, staying close to his adopted home in the Bay Area.
Hahn’s victory marked more than one first, as not only was this his first win, he becomes the inaugural Cal Bears’ alumni to win on the PGA Tour.
Prior to his victory this past weekend, Hahn’s best career PGA Tour finish came in 2013, when he finished in a tie for third place in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, in Pebble Beach, California.
With this career-making win, Hahn has clinched a berth in the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where he will have the opportunity to compete for the coveted green jacket.