Qatar Masters and Phoenix Open likely to see tough competition – Golf News
Golf players from all over the world have gathered in Arizona and Doha to participate in this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open and Commercial Bank Qatar Masters that are the PGA Tour and European Tour sanctioned events. respectively.
Kyle Stanley, who threw away the chance of a definite win in last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, is also part of the Phoenix Open field, along with his Farmers Insurance Open title grabber, Brandt Snedeker.
Stanley had a three-stroke lead when he teed off on his final hole at the Torrey Pines. That was the point when he could have managed even a double bogey to take his first ever PGA Tour title back home.
However, his final hole of the event proved to be a disaster, as he made a triple bogey to enter the playoff with Snedeker. He lost to his nearest rival on the second playoff hole.
“It is not a hard golf hole,” said Stanley with his eyes full of tears after he finished second after his dramatic meltdown. “I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an 8”.
Robert Garrigus, who also blew a three-stroke lead at the St. Jude Classic in 2010, can be a good source of motivation for him in the Phoenix Open.
After Garrigus lost the game, his confidence remained high, which helped him clinch his first ever victory a few months later.
Since then, he never looked back and continuously performed well on the Tour.
Therefore, Stanley can also prove the world that he is not a choker and has the ability to register a win soon after a huge setback in the recent event he played.
The main challenge he is about to face in the Phoenix Open is the participation of some of the big names in golf, such as Phil Mickelson, Mark Wilson, Fred Couples, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Ian Poulter, Matt
Kuchar and Bubba Watson.
On the other hand, the Qatar Masters also includes top-ranked players from all over the world, such as Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Jason Day, Graeme McDowell, K.J. Choi, Hunter Mahan, Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Retief Goosen and Matteo Manassero.
Tags: