Ziegler squeezes in a win at Royal Oaks

Robbie Ziegler travels nearly 200 days out of the year for his job as a player representative at TaylorMade, so juggling time to fit in golf tournaments as a competitor can be a privilege.

So that’s why entering himself at the annual Royal Oaks Invitational, even as a self-described “old, veteran now” still is a must-do when the schedule opens up.

“I can’t play a lot,” said Ziegler, an ex-Oregon Duck and former Wisconsin assistant, “but when I do, I still love to play and compete.”

Funny thing for Ziegler, though, he had to squeeze this tournament in at the last second.

Good thing he did, too: He returned from a business trip in Owensboro, Ky., just in time for Thursday’s practice round, and just enough time to win the 61st edition in memorable fashion Sunday at Royal Oaks Country Club: beating Drew McCullough in a playoff.

Not just any playoff. Four playoff holes.

“I wish somebody made a birdie early,” he joked,” We kept going.”

It started out as a three-way playoff on the 354-yard par-4 hole 1 after he, McCullough out of the University of Wyoming, and Loyola Marymount’s Riley Elmes all finished 3-under 213 after 54 holes. Elmes was out after a bogey on the first hole, and it was down to Ziegler and McCullough. Both parred the next two holes — nine and one again.

Then, it was back to No. 9, and this time, Ziegler made his fourth par on the 415-yard, par-4 hole.

Once it reached the playoff stage, Ziegler’s focus was not to force anything. The playoff lasted nearly an hour.

“Pars are good,” he said. “Four pars in a row, that’s going to be pretty good.”

Ziegler put himself in a position for the layoff with a bogey-free back-nine. McCullough entered Sunday with a one-shot lead after his 4-under 68 from Saturday. He bogeyed four holes Sunday, and had some of the shots he left short dropped in, there might not have been a playoff. One of those shots came on 18; he settled for par that eventually dropped him into the three-way tie.

“That’s how it was all day,” McCullough said of his putting. “I was hitting good putts; they just weren’t falling.”

Defending ROIT champion Spencer Tibbits finished tied for fourth (214), as he and Travis Paul (tied for seventh) each shot a Sunday-best 4-under 68. Tibbits entered Sunday seven back of the lead, but got his round going in the right direction starting with his eagle on the 529-yard, par-5. After that, he had three consecutive birdies on holes five, six, and seven to pull within two shots of McCullough, still the leader at the turn.

In fact, Tibbits was in a similar position this time a year ago when he won Royal Oaks fresh off his third 3A state title for Fort Vancouver, making up ground on the final day.

“Being 5-under was exactly what I needed,” Tibbits said. “Shooting 68, I’m happy about that; it’s a really good round on the Sunday at ROIT. … I absolutely gave it my all.”

2017 Royal Oaks Invitational

At Royal Oaks Country Club

Final Results (top 10)

* — won playoff

1T. *Robbie Ziegler 70-72-71–213

1T. Riley Elmes 74-70-69–213

1T. Drew McCullough 71-68-74–213

4. Spencer Tibbits 72-74-68–214

5. Reid Hatley 71-70-76–216

6. Erik Hanson 75-75-68–217

T7. Travis Paul 73-72-73–218

T7. Jake O’Neal 74-72-73–218

T9. Mitchell Baldridge 73-76-70–219

T9. Tom Brandes 70-72-77–219

T9. David Ganz 70-72-77–219

T9. Calvin Green 71-74-74–219

T9. Brian Humphreys 72-74-73–219