Page 18 - at
P. 18
A18
SPORTSTuesday 19 January 2016
On the Green:
Gomez wins Sony Open in a playoff over Snedeker
DOUG FERGUSON with his 11th birdie of the Starting the final round
AP Golf Writer day on the second playoff four shots behind, Gomez
HONOLULU (AP) — Wheth- hole to outlast Brandt Sne- seized control with his sev-
er he was playing money deker. en straight birdies starting
games with the other cad- “I felt good all week long on No. 6, only to follow with
dies in Argentina or playing and was about to put on back-to-back bogeys that
mini-tours on his long road a great round today,” Go- let Snedeker and Zac Blair
to the big leagues in golf, mez said through a transla- back into the game. Go-
Fabian Gomez couldn’t tor. mez closed with a 7-iron
recall ever making seven “And I had Brandt Snede- to 10 feet for birdie on the
straight birdies. He won’t ker in front of me. I got on a par-3 17th, and a 20-foot
forget Sunday in the Sony streak with seven putts in a birdie putt from just off the
Open. row. And it makes me feel 18th green.
That amazing birdie streak good and feel like I could He finished at 20-under 260.
— no putt longer than win the tournament.” Snedeker hit a delicate
12 feet — carried him to Gomez won for the second 55-yard pitch to 4 feet for
an 8-under 62, and the time on the PGA Tour, and birdie to close with 66 and
37-year-old Argentine won this one was much tougher. force a playoff.
Fabian Gomez, of Argentina, reacts after taking the lead on the
18th green during the final round of the Sony Open golf tour-
nament, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, in Honolulu. Gomez defeated
Brandt Snedeker on the second playoff hole.
On the first playoff hole at tomorrow.”
the par-5 18th, Snedeker Zac Blair, who shared the
missed a 12-foot birdie for 54-hole lead with Snede-
the win. Going back to ker, had a 10-foot eagle
the 18th tee, Gomez had putt on the 18th hole to join
enough. He had not hit the them, but it missed on the
18th fairway all week, and high side. He had a 67.
it was the hardest fairway Gomez won the St. Jude
to hit on Sunday. He had Classic last year by four
never made birdie on the shots and already was in
par 5 until Sunday in regu- the Masters. This victory
lation. moves him to No. 55 in the
So he went with hybrid off world and greatly improves
the tee to stay in the short his chances of playing in
grass, drilled a 3-iron to the Olympics in Rio de Ja-
the front of the green and neiro this summer.
lagged his long putt close His 62 was the lowest clos-
for a tap-in birdie. This time, ing round by a Sony Open
Snedeker couldn’t match champion.
him. His 10-foot putt had Blair nearly joined the play-
slower pace than he want- off with a 3-wood he called
ed and it peeled off to the the best of his life from 280
right. yards on the closing hole
“It’s frustrating because I at Waialae. “Oh my gosh,
couldn’t make putts to win that’s so good,” Blair said
the golf tournament,” Sne- as he watched it bound for-
deker said. He said leav- ward onto the green to 10
ing his 12-foot putt to win feet. He needed the eagle
on the first playoff hole “is to join the playoff. It stayed
going to sting today and just above the hole.q
