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SPORTS A19
Tuesday 2 February 2016
Snedeker winds up a winner at Torrey Pines
DOUG FERGUSON Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. Pines, and he needed help Brandt Snedeker holds the Framers Insurance Open trophy and
AP Golf Writer Shortly after he finished both times. Four years ago, a ceremonial surfboard after the final round of the Farmers Insur-
SAN DIEGO (AP) — With his Sunday, play was stopped he was in the media cen- ance Open golf tournament Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, in San Diego.
glove tucked in his back for the third and final time, ter as the runner-up until
pocket and a putter in and for good reason. The Kyle Stanley made a triple Associated Press
his hand, Brandt Snede- relentless wind toppled bogey from the fairway on
ker walked off the green more than dozen trees the 18th hole, and Snede- way you can predict how the better end this week.”
pumping his arms to cele- across Torrey Pines, includ- ker beat him in a playoff it’s going to be. Sometimes He did his part with a great
brate a six-shot comeback ing a 60-foot eucalyptus to complete a seven-shot you get the raw end and closing round on Sunday.
to win the Farmers Insur- that fell across the left edge comeback. sometimes you get the bet- He was rewarded with a
ance Open. That was the of the 15th fairway some 40 This time, he needed help ter end, and I obviously got trophy on Monday.q
only part of his victory that yards short of the green. from the elements.
looked normal. The forecast was for 25 mph Snedeker made the cut on
He was on the practice win out of the opposite di- the number Saturday and
green, not the 18th green. rection. That was good for was tied for 27th going into
Snedeker never hit a shot Snedeker. the final round. The wick-
Monday. When he woke up Monday ed weather produced 23
Having delivered one of morning to start the wait- rounds in the 80s, including
the great closing rounds on ing game, there was hardly an 87 by Scott Brown, who
the PGA Tour on Sunday, any wind at all. That was shared the 54-hole lead
all he could do was wait to bad for Snedeker. with Choi and wound up in
see if it was good enough But after another two-hour a tie for 49th.
when the wind-blown tour- delay to clean up debris, “It’s just one of those fluke
nament concluded before the wind showed up at just things,” Snedeker said.
no spectators because of the right time and made “There’s no way you can
safety concerns for all the the conditions just as tough control the weather, no
debris on the South Course — maybe even tougher for
at Torrey Pines. the final groups — as it was
The jangled nerves came on Sunday.
from watching the fore- Snedeker hit a wedge for
cast, and then the tele- his second shot on the 15th.
cast. Snedeker finally went Choi couldn’t reach the
to the putting green and green with a 3-wood.
figured the crowd’s reac- With the final five holes
tion would let him know if playing into the wind, bird-
K.J. Choi had made birdie ies were scarce.
on the 18th to force a play- Jimmy Walker, who was
off. But then he realized leading at 7-under par
there was no crowd. through 10 holes when play
“I can’t tell you how excit- was halted on Sunday,
ed I am to be a champion made four bogeys over
here again, how unbeliev- his eight holes and shot 77.
able the last 48 hours have Choi, who was at 6 under
been,” said Snedeker, the (and tied with Snedeker)
first player in more than five made only one bogey,
years to make the cut on and it was enough to cost
the number and win the him. He couldn’t reach the
tournament. “Everything 14th with a fairway metal
worked out perfectly for — another wedge hole on
me. You cannot make up Sunday — and narrowly
the extreme events that missed a 6-foot par putt.
had to happen for me to Choi closed with a 77 and
have this chance, and they was runner-up.
all fell in line perfectly.” Kevin Streelman had a 74,
It started with Snedeker. with two late bogeys end-
In gusts that consistent- ing his hopes, and finished
ly topped 40 mph and third.
peaked at over 50 mph, “The way the wind blew
he played the final 17 holes and made those last five
Sunday without a bogey holes play so tough on
and closed with a 3-under those guys, I feel bad for
69, which was nearly nine them,” Snedeker said.
shots better than the field. “They got the raw end of
The average score (77.9) the stick this morning. But
was the highest for the that’s just the way golf
fourth round at a regular goes, and luckily enough,
PGA Tour event since the I played good enough yes-
tour began keeping such terday to get the job done.
statistics in 1983. So it’s a special feeling to
Snedeker won at 6-under say the least.”
282, the highest winning It was the second time Sne-
scores at Torrey Pines since deker has won at Torrey
