[GPStyles]

one of the clippings:

If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn that was one of the world's best golfers clinching the Verizon Heritage in runaway fashion Sunday. I mean, who enters the final 18 with only one career victory -- in an opposite-field event, no less -- then extends a 3-stroke lead to double digits by posting the round of the day when the pressure was on?

Brian Gay, that's who.

And I hated every minute of it.

Nothing personal, but the newest champion at Harbour Town turned one of my favorite non-major events into a Sunday afternoon snoozer, thanks to a healthy diet of fairways, greens and plenty of holed birdie putts. It's not a stretch to call this the most dominating performance we've seen all season -- or in a few seasons.

This week's edition of the W18 breaks down just how effective Gay was throughout the week and examines what he accomplished with the win.
1
A perfect 10
The last player to win a PGA Tour event by a double-digit differential was Phil Mickelson, who took the 2006 BellSouth Classic by a baker's dozen. Exactly one week later, he was claiming a second green jacket at Augusta National.

Gay won't be fortunate enough to build on his momentum from claiming the Heritage by a record 10 shots, but for a player who's waited his entire life to make the drive down Magnolia Lane, he can wait another 50 weeks for his initial Masters appearance.
Brian Gay

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Sure the trophy, cash and accolades will be nice for Brian Gay after his 10-shot victory at Harbour Town. But most impressive might be the chance to make his first trip down Magnolia Lane to compete in the Masters in April 2010.

After all, this is a guy who twice came thisclose to getting into the Masters, but fell on the wrong side of the cut. Heck, he even won a tourney last year -- the Mayakoba Golf Classic -- but didn't receive an exemption because it was a second-tier event up against the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Now he'll finally get that opportunity.

"It's always been my favorite tournament," said Gay, who moved around a lot as the child of an Army man, but for a time lived just 40 miles from Augusta. "Had a lot of heartache missing by one spot two different years. It's been a big deal not getting in there, but I finally did it."

He did a lot of other things en route to the winner's circle, too. You ready? OK, deep breath ...

Gay earned the largest margin of victory in Verizon Heritage history ... and he set a new single-event scoring record ... and he made only two bogeys for the week ... and he finished second in driving accuracy (47-of-56) ... and T-3 in greens in regulation (48-of-72) ... and T-3 in putts per round (25.25) ... and third in putting average (1.604) ... and ...

I'll stop there, because I think you get the picture. This wasn't just a victory; this was pure domination, the kind we've become accustomed to witnessing only from the likes of Tiger Woods and Mickelson and only on the most seldom of occasions.

Come to think of it, I take back what I wrote in the intro to this column. While it didn't have the dramatic conclusion of last week's Masters, Gay's superiority at Harbour Town was a treat to watch -- unless you were among those left in his wake on the leaderboard.

article

He's beginning to believe! Watch at 34 seconds in!!!!