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sports Tuesday 8 February 2022
Tom Hoge surges past Spieth at Pebble for 1st PGA Tour win

By DOUG FERGUSON a two-shot lead. Only after
AP Golf Writer his bogey on the 17th did
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — he learn he needed eagle
Jordan Spieth knew what to have any chance, and
to expect long before he a sandy lie from under the
ever saw Tom Hoge play tree in the fairway kept him
golf. from reaching the green.
Hoge had shown him how He made par for a 69.
to play craps in 2015 dur- Hoge had to wait for Beau
ing the John Deere Clas- Hossler, one of three play-
sic, and what Spieth took ers who shared the 54-hole
away from that evening lead, who needed eagle
was Hoge was not the kind on the 18th to force a play-
of player who would back off. Hossler sent his fairway
down when the stakes metal right into a bunker,
were high. blasted out long and three-
They were plenty high Sun- putted for bogey for a 71 to
day in the AT&T Pebble finish alone in third.
Beach Pro-Am as Hoge, Cantlay opened with two
one of seven players who birdies and was still atop
had at least a share of the leaderboard until a bo-
the lead in the final round, gey at the eighth that left
had another chance to the final three hours wide
win for the first time on the Tom Hoge poses with his trophy on the 18th green of the Pebble Beach Golf Links after winning the open.
PGA Tour. At his side was AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament in Pebble Beach, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. Cantlay didn’t make an-
Patrick Cantlay, the FedEx Associated Press other birdie until the 18th
Cup champion and No. phy at his side, still surprised came at the 17th with an back down.” when it was too late. He
4 player in the world. Two enough to contemplate 8-iron Spieth thought was Such was the case on Sun- spent most of the back nine
shots ahead of him with five the win in his 203rd start on his best swing of the day. It day. “He’s somebody that I scrambling for par and his
holes to play was Spieth, a tour sends him to the Mas- came up short in the bun- knew when he was on the luck finally ran out on the
three-time major champi- ters and moved him to No. ker, and he missed a 5-foot heels I needed to make 15th and 16th hole. He shot
on and former No. 1 player 39 in the world ranking. par putt. birdies, he wasn’t going 71 and tied for fourth along
in the world. He called it “unexpected” Hoge saw the miss — he to falter,” Spieth said. “So with Troy Merritt (67).
Hoge delivered all the right for a couple of reasons. didn’t know if it was for between him and Patrick Joel Dahmen (72) and An-
shots. He made two tough With a mad scramble at par or birdie. Only after he behind I never felt secure drew Putnam (73) also had
birdie putts on the 11th and the start, he thought his made birdie and realized and therefore I tried to a share of the lead during
14th to stay in the game. double bogey from a bun- he had a two-shot lead on keep playing aggressively the final round. They were
His 9-iron came inches from ker on the par-3 fifth might the par-5 18th did he real- as well.” in the group that tied for
going in on the 16th. And be too much to overcome. ize his time had come. Hoge finished at 19-under sixth. Hoge hit the ball so
then the 32-year-old from And when he realized he He had been a runner-up 268 and earned $1,566,000. pure on the back nine that
North Dakota made the was still in the game, he still twice in his eight years on He had only two seasons he had a birdie putt from
biggest putt of his career, a had Spieth to overtake. the PGA Tour, one other where he won more mon- inside 20 feet on every hole
20-foot birdie on the par-3 “You always expect him time missing a playoff at ey, his biggest in 2020 with until he got to the 17th, and
17th that carried him to a to keep making birdies,” the Sony Open by one just over $1.85 million. that’s where he made the
4-under 68 and a two-shot Hoge said. shot. That was the year Spi- Spieth looked like a winner biggest putt of his career.
victory over Spieth. Spieth was expecting it, eth first mentioned Hoge when he birdied the 12th “It’s awesome,” Hoge said.
“I waited 11 years for that,” too, and was surprised he and said, “When he gets and 13th holes, and he “I’ve worked through so
Hoge said, the crystal tro- didn’t win. The turning point in contention, he will not reached the 15th tee with many hard times.” q

Nash says Nets not trading Harden

before trade deadline

The Associated Press DEN- anything’s changed other ment. “For us, we just don’t
VER (AP) — James Hard- than noise from the out- want to take any chanc-
en is staying put with the side. “James wants to be es,” Nash said. “We know
Brooklyn Nets. here, we’re building with last year we lost him for an
Coach Steve Nash gave a James and we think we extended period and we
direct answer when asked have the best chance to want to be conservative
before the team’s game win with James.” and make sure he resumes
at Denver on Sunday if the Harden has missed two full strength so there isn’t
team was definitely not games with a left ham- an extended absence.”
trading the former MVP string injury and been the Harden has missed 10
before Thursday’s dead- subject of trade rumors, in- games in his first full season Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden (13) yells to forward
line. cluding a possible deal to with Brooklyn. James Johnson (16) during the second half of the team’s NBA
basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento,
“Yes, that’s correct,” Nash send him to Philadelphia The Nets entered Sunday’s Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.
said. “I’ve talked to James, for Ben Simmons. Nash said game having lost seven in Associated Press
he wants to be here. He Harden’s hamstring is tight- a row, including a blow-
wants to be here long term ness, not a strain, and he out loss at Utah on Friday
as well, so I don’t think has lost strength in the liga- night.q