Sam Saunders takes the shared runner-up position at the Utah Championship
Sam Saunders, a rookie on the Web.com Tour, followed an immaculate 65 on Saturday, and a 67 on Sunday to share the second spot at the Utah Championship in Sandy, Utah.
Saunders started off on the front nine and recorded only one bogey against eight pars to go one-over par for the round. Afterwards, he started showing his class and sank three back-to-back birdies starting from the 10th hole.
Another run of two consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th hole allowed him to take the shared clubhouse lead. While playing the final hole of the tournament, he had an opportunity to take the sole lead with a 35-foot birdie putt.
However, he was unlucky, as the ball slid past the hole and he made the par putt in the end. Yet, he still had a share of the lead with three other fellow Americans - James Hahn, Michael Putnam and Scott Gutschewski.
After a few minutes, Doug LaBelle II made a late surge and went past all of them to take the second Web.com victory of his career.
Even then, it was Saunders career-best finish, as he never stood second in any of the events in his professional life.
"I'm really happy with the way I played," said Saunders. "That shot there on the last hole, I hit a good shot. But making that par putt after I ran that first one by was as satisfying as anything. Even though I didn't get the win, to make that putt was big
for the rest of the year".
Hahn, on the other hand, had the sole lead while standing at the 18th tee. However, a bogey to end the round cost him a playoff chance in the end that could have given him the opportunity of recording the second win of the season.
"I play better when I have fun. But you also have fun when you're playing better. It's like which came first, the chicken or the egg?" said Hahn, who the The Rex Hospital Open early this year.
"So I said, 'Let's just have fun and hopefully I'll play well instead of the other way around. It worked until the last hole".
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