Mattiace wins first title on PGA Tour
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2002 Nissan Open | Wrap | 18 Feb 2002
I’ve never met Len Mattiace but I bet he is a good guy. The way he handled himself after the gut wrenching quintuple bogey on the par three seventeenth at Sawgrass in 1998 where he was leading the event, was one of the most endearing memories of golf on the PGA Tour. His mother, who at that time was dying of cancer, witnessed the demise and no doubt thoughts of her are very much in his mind now as he savours his first win since joining the tour in 1993.
His best finish since then has been second at the Sony Open in 1999 but it has been a battle at times. His win here at the age 34 may well herald a renaissance in his career.
Mattiace started the last round two behind the overnight leader Scott McCarron and had slipped further behind through the early holes of the final round. A three birdie stretch early in the back nine got him back in the mix however, and a crucial birdie on seventeen saw him grab a share of the lead with McCarron as they headed to the 18th.
A rock solid par four at the dangerous last was good enough to edge out the more experienced McCarron and so Mattiace joins the very select group of players who lay claim to the fact that they have won on the PGA Tour.
South African Rory Sabbatini continued his improved form to finish second tied alongside Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron with Toru Tanaguchi in fifth place.
Per-Ulrik Johannsen finished sixth, equalling his best finish on Tour since joining it at the beginning of 2001. Following his 7th at Phoenix, it may be that this talented Swede has found the secret to success.
Chris DiMarco’s tie for sixth takes his earnings beyond $US1,000,000 and maintains his place at the top of the money list. Lee Westwood showed an improved form and closed the tournament in equal 15th place.
Robert Allenby was best of the Australasians, not a bad effort considering he hobbled his way around the course with strained ankles to finish 37th, Peter Lonard and Greg Chalmers were 50th, Bradley Hughes 57th, John Senden 63rd and Craig Perks 66th.
Riviera, which had undergone significant changes over the past twelve months with length added and holes restored, succumbed to a birdie barrage with the winning score of -15 (269) tieing the second best ever. It is currently in a battle with the South Course at Torrey Pines to secure the 2008 US Open and it will be interesting to see, once the dust has settled, the general consensus of opinion as to the changes.
The Tour now heads to La Costa for the Accenture and the worry for organisers is that David Duval, the world’s number three, is ill losing a lot of weight last week. It remains to be seen if he can take his place in the field.
