Drama at Farmers Insurance Open

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2012 Farmers Insurance Open | Wrap | 30 Jan 2012

Brandt Snedeker has today won his third PGA Tour title in what could only be described as the most unusual circumstances when the man he defeated in a playoff for the title took a triple bogey at the 72nd hole to give Snedeker a second chance.

24 year old Kyle Stanley has always shown a lot of promise throughout his career, both professional and amateur, and throughout the course of this week’s Framer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines near San Diego it appeared that he might further enhance that reputation with his first PGA Tour victory.

Stanley had led the tournament from the brilliance of his opening round of 62 through until he stood over a four foot downhill second putt at the 72nd hole for double bogey which if made would still have given him the title. He missed and at the second extra hole he would miss a putt of slightly longer length to again three putt and effectively hand the title to Snedeker.

It was gut wrenching to watch. A young man, in just his second PGA Tour season and having played so beautifully for so long this week, faltered at the last hurdle. You get the feeling that Stanley will be back before too long but this one might take a little time to get out of the system.

Stanley was so dominant this week that he led by seven at one point during todays final round before cracks began to appear. Consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes were perhaps the first sign that the event, which had for so long seemed a foregone conclusion, might yet have another twist.

It did. Ahead on the golf course Snedeker was rolling along beautifully before a bogey at the 17th appeared to cost him his one last chance. A birdie at the last got Snedeker within three but surely now Stanley could manage a three shot lead playing the final two holes at the famed South Course. He completed the first part of the exercise with a par at the 17th but the par five 18th has often provided drama and so it would prove again today.

After finding the left hand rough with his tee shot, Stanley appeared to choose the sensible option of laying up. A three shot lead meant he could safely play his third onto the green and still have four putts for the win. From 77 yards however Stanley’s approach spun back from beyond the flag into the water and the blow torch was about to be turned up further.

His fifth shot finished on the top level of the green some 40 feet from the hole and when he three putted a playoff was necessary.

At the first extra hole both players made birdie, Snedeker after laying up and Stanley after taking on the green in two and finishing just off the back.

At the second extra hole, the par three 16th, Snedeker was long by at least a club but got a lucky break when his tee shot hit the TV tower and stopped it from finding an even worse fate. He made a remarkable up and down and watched as Stanley three putted. It was agonising to watch but not half as agonising as it would have been for a young man chasing his first PGA Tour victory and the chance of a place in the field at this year’s Masters.

Snedeker was still in a daze when he walked into the media centre. “It’s a crazy day is about right,” he said. “I went through a whole range of emotions over the last two days, let alone the last hour and a half to be sitting where I am. I was sitting in here literally an hour ago wondering if I was completely content with a second place finish. Thought I played well and I was happy with where I was.

“Then Kyle hit the water on 18, and it piqued my interest a little bit. I still thought he would get up and down or make double and still win.

“Then when I had the second chance, I really had to get myself refocused and realize that this tournament is anybody’s now, now that I was in the playoff. If anybody had an advantage, I did, because I had done that a couple times before.

“I had won in a playoff on TOUR, and I know Kyle probably wasn’t in his best frame of mind at that point after doing what he did on 18.

“So I really refocused. I played great in the playoff. Hit one bad tee shot on 18, and made a good putt on 18 for birdie, hit a great 5 iron on 16. I thought it was going to be right next to it. It ended up going over, but made a great putt there on those greens.

“I’m just floored right now. I had no idea I was going to be in this room right now for a second time. So I’m so excited.

Understandably Stanley was not quite as upbeat. “Yeah, I played well. I played really well all week. Obviously, not the finish I wanted. But I think I’ve got to focus on the good things I did.”

“No, I wasn’t very nervous,” he added referring to the situation on the 72nd hole. “Looking back, I don’t really know what I was thinking. It’s not a hard golf hole. It’s really a pretty straightforward par 5. I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an 8.”

John Rollins finishes alone in third position while Bill Haas and Cameron Tringale tied for 4th.

The leading Australian was Rodney Pampling who tied for 8th, with Robert Allenby the next best in 27th position after an indifferent weekend.

The PGA Tour will now head to Scottsdale for this week’s Waste management Phoenix Open.

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