Kyle Stanley rebounded from a devastating loss to win the Phoenix Open, overcoming an eight-stroke deficit Sunday in a comeback as unlikely as his collapse a week earlier at Torrey Pines.
In tears in San Diego after blowing a big lead -- dropping the final strokes with a triple-bogey 8 on the final hole -- and losing a playoff, Stanley took advantage of Spencer Levin's meltdown Sunday to win his first PGA Tour title.
"I'm not sure what I'm thinking right now," Stanley said. "I just needed to focus on playing golf. I needed to put last week behind me."
He cried again, this time tears of joy.
"I just want to thank my mom and dad. They've done a lot for me. I'm speechless," said Stanley, who won $1,098,000.
He closed with a bogey-free 6-under 65 at TPC Scottsdale (Ariz.), holing a 4-foot par putt on the par-4 18th, to finish at 15-under 269.
Ben Crane had a 66 to finish a stroke back.
Levin, six strokes ahead entering the round and seven in front after one hole, shot a 75 to finish two strokes behind Stanley.
"I just didn't have it," Sacramento's Levin said. "Maybe I was looking ahead too much and trying too hard. What are you going to do? I tried my best."
The 24-year-old Stanley birdied the par-5 13th and par-4 14th to take a one-shot lead at 15 under.
Levin, winless on tour, birdied the 14th to regain a share of the lead but dropped back with a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 15th.
"I
don't really know," Levin said. "I felt all right early."Stanley parred the final three holes, playing a great recovery shot from under cactus to the right of the short par-4 17th.
"I really feel for him," Stanley said. "You don't want to wish that on anyone. He's a very good player. ... I feel bad for him."
Did this victory erase last week?
"Not really," he said. "I'm never going to forget that."
European Tour: Paul Lawrie chipped in for an eagle and a birdie en route to winning the wind-shortened Qatar Open in Doha, posting a 7-under 65 to beat Jason Day (65) and Peter Hanson (67) by four shots. Lawrie finished 54 holes at 15-under 201. He sank a 20-yard chip for eagle on No. 9, then had four birdies on the back nine.
Ladies European Tour: Christel Boeljon made a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to win the Australian Ladies Masters at Gold Coast. She shot a 4-under 68 for a 21-under 267, a shot ahead of So Yeon Ryu (72), Kim Ha-neul (67) and Diana Luna (67).
Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/golf/ci_19900219?source=rss
nina dobrev emmy nominations monsters vs aliens jeremy maclin nascar news emmys 2011 emmys 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment