Brian Murphy Yahoo! Sports
“They’re not booing at TPC River Highlands, where 44-year-old Ken Duke won his first-ever PGA Tour event. They’re saying ‘Duuuuuuke.’ That is, when they’re not saying ‘Bubba: You mad, bro?’
“Post-major Tour stops are generally snoozers; the equivalent of a hangover that requires a nap on the couch while the Sunday final round plays on your TV at a barely audible level, so that Verne Lundquist’s voice actually enters your subconscious and lulls you into blissful REM, purring phrases like “My gracious!” - which he did when Chris Stroud forced a playoff with a 72nd hole chip-in.
“But the Travelers Championship in Connecticut kept you out of the Nap Zone. It was pyrotechnics and emotion. It was Ken Duke, the pride of Henderson State University in Arkansas, pumping his fist and hitting an absolute whopper of a game-winner for birdie, a sand wedge from 117 yards to inside a yard on the second playoff hole.”
Brian Hewitt Global Golf Post
“They staged a final round Sunday on the PGA Tour in Connecticut and a three-ring circus broke out.
“There was the colorful Graham DeLaet, a Canadian with the pure action, the pants that look like they came from a quilting bee and the little bebop growth under his lower lip. He finished third.
“There was puerite Bubba Watson, who blamed everything on his caddie: [Worse, he did it within earshot of the television mics.] Bubba blew a lead, blew his top and wound up fourth.
“There was Texan Chris Stroud, who dramatically chipped in from the 72nd hole to force a playoff.
“And there was 44-year-old winner Ken Duke, who now has only one fewer PGA Tour victories than syllables in his name.”
Farrell Evans ESPN
“Ken Duke finally won on the PGA Tour at the Travelers after 19 years and 187 starts on the PGA Tour. Duke, a 44-year-old Hope, Ark., native, has played on tours around the world. As recent as 2011, the Henderson State grad was playing on the Web.com Tour, where he won the season-ending Tour Championship to earn a place on the regular Tour.
“Last year, he had six top-10s on tour. Duke is the oldest first-time winner on the PGA Tour since a 47-year-old Ed Dougherty won the ’95 Deposit Guaranty Classic. When Duke was in his early 40s on the Web.com Tour, it must have been difficult for him to imagine that in a few years he would be a tour winner. Now he will be in the field at the Masters for only the second time. If Duke doesn’t do another noteworthy thing in his career, he’s given hope with his win at Hartford to some 40-year-old journeyman still chasing the dream to win on the PGA Tour.”
Golfweek staff
“Well back of Chris Stroud in the fairway on the second playoff hole, Duke nonetheless took dead aim at the bunker-guarded pin with his approach on No. 18.
“It was dead-on, clearing the sand and settling inside 3 feet.
“Stroud reached the green from the fairway, but was left with a long birdie putt; his effort on the green would have made for a good lag putt, just missing low. But with Duke at can’t-miss range, he needed to make it.
“Duke seemingly took a moment to collect himself while reading the short putt, then rolled it in for the win. He had won twice on the Web.com Tour and earned three runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour.
Michael Whitmer Boston Globe
“When you’ve waited so long and gone through so much to position yourself for a PGA Tour win, what’s a few extra holes and a whole bunch of drama?
“Ken Duke was diagnosed with scoliosis as a teenager, and was medalist in a high school district tournament while wearing a back brace. He’d been close to winning on tour before, finishing second three times, but was the epitome of a journeyman: Spending way more time off the tour than on, competing in unglamorous locales and obscure events, since becoming a professional golfer 19 years ago.
“But on Sunday, at age 44 and in his 187th start, the man born in an Arkansas town called Hope became a winner on the PGA Tour. Finally.”Buy or Sell Golf Channel feature
“Duke of Cromwell: What were two extra holes when Ken Duke had already waited 44 years and 186 events to earn his first PGA Tour title? He gives hope to every player who is seemingly in the eighth inning of his career.”
Sports, Pages 20 on 06/25/2013