Part-time St. Simons resident Brandt Snedeker now has three PGA Tour wins and has come from the back of the pack each time. But Sunday's victory at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines was by far the most remarkable.
Snedeker began the final round seven shots behind Kyle Stanley and was nine behind two holes into the final round. Not since Stewart Cink began the last round of the 2004 Heritage Classic nine shots back has there been a bigger final-round comeback.
“I’ve got kind of an M.O. of doing this, being out of it and coming out of nowhere to win,” said Snedeker, who had off-season hip surgery. “So I never gave up hope. You’ve got to keep plugging. My favorite saying is, ‘Play like the four horse in the five-horse race, blinders on, full-steam ahead.’ You never know what can happen.”
Snedeker also got a break on the first playoff hole when his second shot landed next to a large clump of grass from a divot. Fortunately, there was enough space where he could remove the loose impediment without causing the ball to move and incurring a penalty.
This week on Tour
Arron Oberholser will make his Tour debut this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Oberholser has been trying to overcome a hand injury that has kept him from playing since the fall of 2009.
Oberholser, 36, appeared to be on the verge of becoming an established star after he won at Pebble Beach in 2006. But a series of ailments put him in drydock, starting with a bulging disc and a wrist injury in 2007, bone spurs and cartilage damage in 2008 and two hand surgeries and hip surgery in 2010.
Oberholser is playing on a major medical extension and has 14 events to win $349,854 and retain his fulltime exemption.
Also returning to the Tour this week is Ian Poulter, whose late start can be attributed to a family matter. His wife, Katie, gave birth to their fourth child on Jan. 26.
Nick Watney withdrew because of sickness and will be replaced by Jarrod Lyle. Among Lyle's accomplishments is a hole-in-one at the crazy 16th hole in Phoenix a year ago. ... Phil Mickelson is back in the Phoenix field. Lefty is off to a poor start, posting a tie for 49th at the Humana Challenge and missing the cut at Torrey Pines.
The Georgians
Georgia Tech graduate Cameron Tringale tied for fourth at Torrey Pines at 12-under 276, his best finish of the season, and moved into 21st place on the FedEx Cup points list.
Tringale also earned $10,000 for the Tech golf team for posting the second-lowest score on Saturday. Farmers also made donations of $500 to any player who wore his school’s colors for the third round.
Among those who tied for 13th at 9-under at Torrey Pines were fellow Yellow Jackets Cink and Bryce Molder and Georgia's Bubba Watson. ... UGA grad Chris Kirk has played four weeks and made every cut; he's in the field for this week's Waste Management event. He currently ranks 25th on the FedEx points list.
Skinner accepts national award
Sonny Skinner of Sylvester delivered an emotional speech when he accepted his Senior Player of the Year award last week at the PGA of America's annual awards ceremony.
The PGA professional at River Pointe Golf Club in Albany talked about the emotional loss he felt from his father’s death, to whom he dedicated last season. “My love for golf is because of my dad,” Skinner told the crowd.
Blank makes $1 million donation
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has donated $1 million through his foundation to The First Tee, which supports the development of youth golf.
The Blank Foundation and the PGA Tour Superstore, owned by Blank, have already donated more than $400,000 to The First Tee chapters.
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