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Despite Triple, Fowler Wins

February 4, 2019 by Digital Sports Desk

SCOTTSDALE – Rickie Fowler finally won a tournament title that had eluded him, and it wasn’t all that much fun until the task was complete.

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Fowler recovered from a back-side triple-bogey to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Sunday in the outskirts of Phoenix..

Fowler’s final-round 3-over-par 74 in the rain came with birdies on two of the final four holes after his lead disappeared at TPC Scottsdale.

“It wasn’t fun,” Fowler said. “Just having to dig deep and fight through. It wasn’t easy out there.”

Fowler finished at 17-under 267 to win by two shots over South Africa’s Branden Grace, whose final-round 69 wasn’t enough.

A year ago, Fowler couldn’t hold a lead in this tournament entering the final round. This time, he had a four-shot cushion, and he saw that vanish.

“It has been a long time coming to get the win here,” Fowler said. “It was big, especially being out front.”

Fowler pulled even with Grace thanks to a birdie on the par-5 No. 15. Another birdie on the par-4 No. 17 after Grace took a bogey on the 17th gave Fowler a two-shot edge. Grace hit into the water on No. 17, proving costly.

Fowler had been pumped up by then as he drove the green on the par-4 17th with a chance at an eagle putt.

But it wasn’t easy from there. Fowler’s tee shot on the 18th ended up buried in the tall grass strips located in a fairway sand trap. Two shots later, he had a short putt for par to clinch the title.

Fowler, 30, secured his fifth victory on the PGA Tour. It came despite the highest final-round score in the tournament’s history.

“A couple of bad swings, a couple of bad breaks,” Fowler said. “We kept moving forward.”

Fowler made triple at the par-4 11th when his approach rolled past the pin, over the green and into the water behind the green, which was deemed a penalty area. The ball rolled back into the water, costing him another stroke, before Fowler finally got up and down for a 7. He followed up with a bogey 4 on the par-3 No. 12.

Justin Thomas, who contended all week, had three birdies — including on each of the last two holes — during his final-round 72 and ended up third at 14 under.

Thomas figured Fowler was due.

“He would be the first to tell you he should have won more than he has,” Thomas said. “But it’s hard to win, there’s only one winner every week and he’s played plenty well enough and I’m sure it’s going to happen plenty of times.”

Fowler said he views this tournament as special and therefore it’s a coveted victory.

“This is definitely very high up on the list,” Fowler said, also listing Torrey Pines among his most notable. “I would say between here and there, those would be the two highest on the list, other than a major.”

Matt Kuchar, who joined Thomas and Fowler in the final group, shot 75 and faded to a tie for fourth at 12 under. He shared that with Bubba Watson (71) and Chez Reavie (68)

Fowler’s double bogey on No. 5 created the first notable movement on the leaderboard, softened some because Kuchar and Thomas both took bogeys on the hole.

Defending champion Gary Woodland closed with 72 for his worst round of the tournament and finished tied for seventh at 11 under.

–Field Level Media

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Filed Under: PGA TOUR Tagged With: PGA Tour, Phoenix Open

Fowler in Control

February 3, 2019 by Digital Sports Desk

SCOTTSDALE – Rickie Fowler likes noisy crowds, a fact that is assisting him in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Fowler takes a four-shot lead into Sunday’s final round in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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“I love how loud it gets, how energetic people are,” Fowler said in regard to one of the rowdiest venues on the PGA Tour, TPC Scottsdale.

Fowler threatened to run away by shooting a 7-under-par 64 on Saturday in the third round.

Fowler is at 20-under 193 for the tournament, four shots in front of Matt Kuchar (65 on Saturday). Justin Thomas (3 under on Saturday) is in third place at 15 under after failing to keep pace with Fowler. Thomas was a first-round co-leader.

Thanks to birdies on four of his first six holes in the third round, Fowler matched his first-round score.

Fowler had just one bogey in the round, giving him the best score turned in by any of the 73 golfers who made the cut.

The 30-year-old Californian will be aiming for his fifth victory on the PGA Tour.

“When he’s playing like this at a course that he loves like this, he’s going to be tough to beat,” Thomas said.

This is the fourth year in a row that Fowler is in good shape in the Phoenix Open going to the final round. He also held the 54-hole lead last year but finished 11th.

Kuchar, who won last month’s Sony Open in Hawaii, notched birdies on each of the three par-5 holes. He carded a bogey-free round for his second consecutive round of 6 under par.

Thomas, who was a shot back entering the third round, was at 1 over for the day through 10 holes before rallying with four birdies the rest of the way.

Fowler and Thomas are sharing a house during this tournament, and they will be in the same grouping again on the final day of the event.

“You don’t want your friends to have bragging rights over you,” Fowler said. “Getting to play with your buddies, those are the people that you want to lose to the least.”

Still, Thomas said it’s ideal to be playing in the last group on the weekend.

South Africa’s Branden Grace (2 under Saturday) and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (5 under) are at 13 under overall. An re-emerged among the strong contenders with birdies on three of the last four holes.

Grace notched a birdie on No. 7 a day after registering a hole-in-one there. He is 4 under on that hole for the tournament. Grace also notched an eagle Saturday at No. 13.

Defending champion Gary Woodland stayed on the leaderboard. He shot 5 under on Saturday to move to 12 under and into a tie for sixth place with Bubba Watson (3 under).

“The way I’m driving the golf ball, I think I have a really good chance,” Woodland said before knowing Fowler’s final number. “So if we get some putts to go in, it will be fun. “

Harold Varner III, who was a first-round co-leader, recovered with a round of 3 under after shooting even par on Friday. He is one of four golfers tied for eighth place at 10 under.

–Field Level Media

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Filed Under: PGA TOUR Tagged With: PGA Tour, Phoenix Open

PGA Tour: Phoenix Open

February 1, 2018 by Digital Sports Desk

At a Glance: The Waste Management Phoenix Open

“They’re All Wasted!”

TV: Thursday and Friday: 3:00pm – 7:00pm ET – Golf Channel; PGA Live: 9:15am – 7:00pm ET

Radio: Thursday-Friday: 1:00pm – 7:00pm ET – Sirius XM Radio feed PGA Tour Radio

TV: Saturday and Sunday: 2:00pm – 3:45 pm ET – Golf Channel; 4:00pm – 7:00pm ET – CBS Sports

Radio: Saturday and Sunday: 11:30am- 7:00pm ET – Sirius XM radio PGA Tour Radio

Embed from Getty Images

Hideki Matsuyama in R-1 at Phoenix, Feb 1, 2018

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Last Year: Hideki Matsuyama made it two straight wins (and a runner-up in 2015) by shooting a 267 over the four rounds to tie with Webb Simpson. Matsuyama won in the playoff. The previous back-to-back champion was Johnny Miller in 1974-75.

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PGA Tour: Matsuyama Wins at Phoenix

February 5, 2017 by Terry Lyons Leave a Comment

SCOTTSDALE – (Wire Service Report by The Sports Xchange) – Byeoen Hun An opened the door, and Hideki Matsuyama walked through.

Matsuyama came from four strokes back Sunday to edge Webb Simpson in a playoff and win his second straight Phoenix Open.

Matsuyama sunk a 12-foot birdie on the short par 4 17th hole, the fourth playoff hole, to win. He did so after Simpson’s 20-foot birdie putt to win on No. 10, the third playoff hole, stopped a roll short. He also was short on a putt at 18 on the first playoff hole.

Matsuyama, who has won five events in the past 3 1/2 months to climb to No. 5 in the world rankings, now takes over the lead in the FedExCup standings over Justin Thomas.

“It’s been a great run,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter. “I’m going to ride this as long as I can.”

Matsuyama shot 66 while Simpson shot 64, including birdies at 17 and 18, in regulation.

“To shoot 7 under on Sunday…is a great feeling,” Simpson said. “I wish I could have a couple of those putts (in the playoff) back and hit them a little harder.”

The pair took advantage of the struggles of An, a 25-year-old Korean who was seeking his first PGA Tour win. An had hoped for a bogey-free round to protect his one-shot lead over Martin Laird heading into the final round. Instead, An put up five bogies and three birdies for a 73. He finished sixth at 14 under.

“Just didn’t work out today…just had a poor finish.”

“I still got to work on my game. A bit sloppy with drivers and irons and putting. But it’s not like it’s the last event of the year or the last event for the rest of my life.

“I just can’t wait to come back next year. It will be great.”

Matsuyama started at 12 under, four shots back of An, while Simpson started at 10 under, six shots behind An.

Louis Oosthuizen shot 65 and finished at 16-under, good for third place.

Rickie Fowler, who lost in a playoff to Matsuyama last year, shot a 65 to finish at 15 under for the tournament, tied for fourth with J.J. Spaun.

Fowler has played more rounds at the Phoenix Open than any other tournament; this is his ninth appearance at the TPC Scottsdale.

“We will keep knocking at the door,” he said. “We will get this one at some point.”

Martin Laird, who started Sunday one stroke behind An, never got going Sunday. He shot 73 and finished tied for seventh with Daniel Berger at 13 under.

Jordan Spieth shot 67 and finished 12 under, as did first-round leader Matt Kuchar, who shot 70.

Jon Rahm, last week’s winner in San Diego, shot 70 and finished 10 under.

Brooks Koepka, the winner in Phoenix two years ago, finished 7 under.

Phil Mickelson emerged briefly as a contender, shooting a 4-under 31 on the front nine, capped by a spectacular approach shot at No. 9. From 165 yards out, he put the ball within two feet for an easy birdie and 14 under on the scoreboard.

Then, he bogeyed No. 10 and 11, effectively derailing his chances.

“That just killed my momentum,” Mickelson said.

He finished at even par 71 and 10 under for the tournament.

The week-long attendance for the tournament was estimated at 655,434, by far the most in golf history. The previous record was 618,365 set last year. Sunday drew 56,654, well off the Sunday record of 93,475 set in 2007.

“The golf fans came out today,” Simpson said. “The partiers came out Saturday.”

In regulation, An had a two-stroke lead through 10 holes when he hit an approach shot in the water on the right side of the 11th green. He saved bogey with a 7-foot putt, while dropping to even par for the round — 16 under for the tournament — and putting a host of players in contention.

And when Matsuyama birdied the par 5 13th, the two were tied for the lead.

Oosthuizen and Simpson joined them by hitting birdie putts at the short par 4 17th.

Matsuyama briefly took the lead with an easy birdie at the par 5 15th to go 17 under. An was in position to tie him, but he missed a three-footer at 15 to stay at 16 under. He also missed a birdie putt at 16 and bogeyed the final two holes.

Simpson hit a great approach shot at 18 to set up an easy birdie to tie Matsuyama at 17 under.

Then Matsuyama chipped from 43 yards out to within nine feet at 17. But his birdie putt missed badly.

Then he hit a rocket off the tee at 18; the 357-yard drive carried to within 74 yards of the hole. But he could only get his approach to 19 feet from the pin.

His putt headed for the center of the cup, but was one roll short. He and Simpson headed for a playoff.

“I don’t know how that stayed out,” Matsuyama said of his barely short putt. “You can’t be short on a putt like that.”

NOTES: With four wins, Matsuyama has the most PGA Tour wins of any Japanese player…Simpson was seeking his fifth win…According to The Arizona Republic, a skybox at the raucous 16th hole costs $50,000 and includes 34 badges per day, food and an open bar…Jon Rahm, who finished fifth at this tournament as an amateur two years ago, senses the crowd at 16 has gotten more demanding: “They’re starting to boo you if you miss a 20-foooter for birdie.

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PGA Tour: Phoenix Open

February 3, 2017 by Terry Lyons Leave a Comment

PGA TOUR: Waste Management Phoenix Open on the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz., Thursday through Sunday.

TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-7 p.m. EST on the Golf Channel; Saturday and Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. EST on the Golf Channel and 3-6 p.m. EST on CBS.

LAST YEAR: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan claimed the first of his two victories on the PGA Tour in 2016, making a par on the fourth playoff hole to defeat Rickie Fowler. Fowler held a two-stroke lead, but he hammered his drive on the 317-yard 17th hole over the green and into the water, leading to a bogey. Matsuyama pulled even with a 3-foot birdie putt on the same hole and momentarily took the lead with an 18-foot birdie putt on the last hole. Fowler forced the playoff by making a birdie putt from 10 feet at No. 18, and both players finished at 4-under-par 67. On the fourth extra hole, Fowler pulled his drive into the water and missed his par putt from 10 feet before Matsuyama two-putted from 6 feet to win.

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