Rickie Fowler was visibly emotional following his runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Sunday. “Rickie opened the door for me, and I was able to walk through it”.
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Hideki Matsuyama edges out Rickie Fowler in a playoff to win the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
“It came out soft and floated on me”, Fowler said.
“Usually don’t expect it to hit on the downslope and then go 360”, added Fowler.
“He hit a ideal drive in regulation at 17”, Matsuyama said through his translator.
Matsuyama birdied the hole in regulation to tie for the lead, chipping to 2-1/2 feet. He was two shots ahead of the field when he stood on the 17th tee having made par on the famous 16th, after missing a 10ft birdie putt.
“After the 15th hole, it didn’t look very good”, Matsuyama said.
From there the young Kiwi was forced into spectator status as he watched his friends Fowler and Matsuyma duke it out over those dramatic playoff holes.
Rickie Fowler v Hideki Matsuyama:: Who’ll win a major first?
It was the same hole that Fowler botched with a driver in regulation, a misstep that sent the tournament to a playoff in the first place.
Fowler got a break on the 15th when his hybrid from the right rough ballooned short and right and stopped a foot short of the water.
Fowler chipped within a foot of the 18th hole for par, while Matsuyama’s long attempt to win fell short as a second hole beckoned.
“I’m hitting a chip-cut driver”, he said.
Attendance was announced at 201,003, which breaks the one-day record at of 189,722 at TPC Scottsdale, set on the Saturday round in 2014.
The 23-year-old Korean won her first LPGA Tour title.
Fowler ended up bogeying the hole as Matsuyama scored par for his second PGA Tour title. I’ll be alright. With how good I’m playing, I know I can win. “Thats the hard part”.
His tee shot found the water left of the green, and Fowler couldn’t get up-and-down for par to put pressure on Matsuyama. “And maybe this tournament can teach the PGA Tour a thing or two about the future”. “I felt like I had it, especially with the way I was swinging”.
Harris English shot a 66 and finished third at 12-under 272.
Lee made three consecutive birdies from the second hole to build a big cushion en route to a four-under 67 at the TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona, and a 13-under 200 total.
Phil Mickelson was 8 under after a 65.
Toledo made a four-foot par putt after Andrade’s six-foot par try lipped out on the par-four 17th hole.
The 28-year-old Willett closed with a three-under 69 at Emirates Golf Club to finish at 19-under 269, one shot better than fellow Englishman Andy Sullivan (68) and Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello (69).
Then, noting the support he had for what would have been his fourth PGA Tour win, his voice choked with emotion. Rory McIlroy had the best round of the day at 65 to tie for sixth at 273 with Henrik Stenson (66).
Jang played the final 36 holes with Lydia Ko, but it was the No. 1 player in women’s golf who buckled.
With the tournament still a bit behind after a first-round fog delay on Thursday morning, play was halted by darkness with a handful of players yet to finish.
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Second-round leader Corey Pavin extended his advantage to two shots on the front nine but made six bogeys and faded to 10th after a 75.
