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A20 SPORTS
Monday 20 august 2018

Brandt Snedeker wins Wyndham

Championship by 3 strokes

By JOEDY McCREARY less round of golf.” “I only played one bad
AP Sports Writer Pan shot a 66 to tie for sec- hole, which is fine. You
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — ond with Webb Simpson. know, I’ve still got a lot of
Brandt Snedeker began Simpson matched his ca- golf left.”
the Wyndham Champi- reer-best with a 62. With the victory seemingly
onship with history — and “I feel like it was a round I inevitable at that point,
ended it with a victory. needed to make a push to Snedeker sank a 20-foot
Snedeker earned his ninth the leaderboard,” Simpson birdie putt on the 18th to
PGA Tour title Sunday, said. end it, making him the 10th
three days after opening “Brandt’s obviously had a player to win in Greensboro
with an 11-under 59. great week ... so I knew it multiple times.
He closed with a 65 for was going to take some- His victory here in 2007 was
a three-stroke victory in thing super low.” the first of his career, and
the regular-season finale, Snedeker opened the tour- this time he finished one
breaking a tie with C.T. nament with the 59 that stroke shy of Henrik Sten-
Pan on the final hole with made him the first tour son’s year-old tournament
a birdie and Pan’s double player this year and just the record.
bogey in the group ahead. 10th ever to break 60, then “Wanting so desperately to
Snedeker finished at 21-un- on the final day played 29 win this tournament, it was
der 259 for his first win since holes at 5 under to seal it. just a lot of emotion this
2016 and his second at He’s the fifth tour player to week,” he said.
the tournament, but first at shoot in the 50s and then Severe weather led orga-
Sedgefield Country Club, win the tournament. nizers to suspend the third
to close what he called He was never in danger round with 30 players still on
“the most stressful week of missing the playoffs for the course and bring every-
I’ve ever had in profession- the first time in his career, body back to Sedgefield
al golf.” but the victory gave him on Sunday morning, leav-
“Shooting 59 on Thurs- a huge jump on the points ing Snedeker with 29 holes
day, your expectations go list. to play on the final day.
through the roof,” Snede- He climbed 50 spots to No. He wrapped up that round
ker said, also expressing 30 on the list, after arriv- with a one-stroke lead at
Brandt Snedeker poses with the trophy after winning the
Wyndham Championship golf tournament at Sedgefield Country pride that he could “cap it ing at 80th — which would 16 under before head-
Club in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018. off the way we did today, have been his lowest finish. ing back onto the course.
Associated Press to play pretty much a flaw- “To be perfectly frank, I Since the tournament
didn’t have any chance at moved here in 2008, every
all” to win the FedEx Cup third-round leader who was
before this week, the 2012 that far under par has gone
playoff champion said. on to win.
“After this week, I feel like I The other subplot at Sedge-
have a chance.” field is the last-minute push
For a while, it looked like for the playoffs, which be-
it might come down to a gin next week at The North-
playoff between Pan and ern Trust in New Jersey with
Snedeker, who were even the top 125 players qualify-
at 20 under entering Pan’s ing. With every player who
final hole. was between Nos. 122-127
But the 26-year-old from missing the cut, there fig-
Taiwan ran into big trouble: ured to be plenty of move-
Pan shanked his tee shot ment near the bubble.
out of bounds off a cart Sergio Garcia will miss the
path down the right side playoffs for the first time
of the fairway and needed in his career after wind-
four shots, including the ing up 131st on the points
penalty stroke, to reach list. Harris English and Nick
the green on the par 4. Taylor played their way in,
Pan said he heard “a with Taylor saying he would
couple noises in my head “kind of soak it in and real-
which caused me to hit a ize that we’ve finally done
bad shot. it.
“It’s my fault. I can learn “It’s really satisfying to finish
something from it,” he said. it off,” he said.q

linda.reijnders@cspnv.com