Page 18 - aruba today

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 10 OcTOber 2017
Brendan Steele successfully defends Safeway Open title

By JAMES RAIA der with a birdie on the a late move.”
Associated Press par-4 13th. It was the 47-year-old Mick-
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — But he double-bogeyed elson’s 27th third-place fin-
Brendan Steele is getting the par-4 14th. After pars ish in 27 PGA Tour seasons
accustomed to fast starts on 16 and 17, Finau had a to along with 42 career
and he likes it. 40-foot eagle putt on the wins and 34 runner-up fin-
Steele won the PGA Tour’s 18th and settled for birdie ishes.
season-opening Safe- and a 69. “It’s just keep playing to
way Open for the second “I was happy the way I keep giving myself chanc-
straight year, closing with hung in there; I didn’t hot es,” Mickelson said about
a 3-under 69 in windy con- a lot of quality shots off the his winless PGA Tour streak
ditions Sunday for a two- tee coming in like I needed of 91 tournaments.
stroke victory over Tony to,” Finau said. “It will happen.”
Finau. “But I put myself in a situ- Hadley finished with a 73.
“I’m getting pretty spoiled ation where a playoff or a He had a course-record 61
winning the first event Brendan Steele holds up his trophy on the 18th green of the Sil- win with that eagle putt. It in the second round,
of the year twice,” said verado Resort North Course after winning the Safeway Open was still pretty cool.” Duncan, a PGA Tour rookie
Steele, the 34-year-old PGA golf tournament Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, in Napa, Calif. Look- Mickelson, who began the who began the round with
from the Southern Califor- ing on at left is Hall of Famer Johnny Miller. Associated Press round four shots off the a one-stroke lead over
nia mountain town of Idyll- lead, birdied the 16th from Hadley, had five bogeys on
wild. eight rounds at the event. said. “I knew the weather 10 feet to move within one the front nine and finished
“This place is so great to Steele also won the 2011 was going to be windy shot of Steele. But Mickel- with a 75 to tie for fifth with
me. I feel so comfortable Valero Texas Open. and it seems Sunday is al- son, winless since the 2013 Graham DeLaet at 11 un-
here and it’s been a great Two strokes behind surpris- ways the hardest day on British Open, bogeyed the der. DeLaet had a 72.
run.” ing leader Tyler Duncan en- the PGA Tour for whatever 17th before birdieing the Andrew Landry (69) and
Phil Mickelson and Ches- tering the day at Silverado reason. That was about 18th for a 70.“Unfortunate- Bud Cauley (74) tied for
son Hadley finished three Resort and Spa, Steele bird- as hard as it can play out ly, on the front nine I made seventh at 10 under.
shots behind. ied the par-5 16th and 18th there.”Finau, whose lone a couple of bogeys and John Daly, the two-time
Steele finished at 14-under holes — holing a 3-footer PGA Tour victory came in made the turn at 1 over,” major winner who won his
273 for his third PGA Tour on 18. the 2016 Puerto Rico Open, Mickelson said. “But on the first PGA Tour Champions ti-
title. “The greens were firming moved into a tie for the back nine, I played some tle in May, closed with a 79
He’s 33 under in his past up in the afternoon,” Steele lead with Steele at 14 un- good solid golf and made to tie for 72nd at 5 over.q