Waste Management Phoenix Open: Kyle Stanley atones for lapses at Torrey Pines, carves out dramatic success
Kyle Stanley was more than thrilled at Scottsdale on Sunday, as he rebounded from a heartbreaking defeat at Torrey Pines to clinch the title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, grabbing the limelight.
Stanley erased an eight-stroke deficit on the final day to win the title he was seeking to grab.
Stanley was extremely disappointed by a dramatic defeat at the hands of Brandt Snedeker in the Farmers Insurance Open.
By carving out an unexpected victory, Stanley has certainly atoned for his lapses in the last event and the success is sure to give him a much-needed mental boost.
Stanley was shedding tears seven days ago, in San Diego, as he erroneously blew a big lead.
His worst mistake, which made his fans question his consistency on the course, was shooting a triple-bogey on the final hole, and coming off worse in the playoff.
At Scottsdale, there were a number of fearsome players and grabbing a triumph meant treading a tight rope.
Although feeling down following last week’s loss, Stanley did not look like he was still in shock.
He capitalised on Spencer Levin’s collapse on Sunday, gaining a considerably huge lead. Phoenix Open is his first career title on the PGA Tour.
Levin’s meltdown came as a blessing to the 24-year-old American, as he was in trouble due to his gigantic deficit.
His final round was undoubtedly the most spectacular. The crowd at Scottsdale had a lot to be pleased with, as Stanley’s putting was all he had promised before setting foot on the course.
He carded an overall 6-under 65, way better than his second round’s 5-under 66. Two birdies on the par-4 2nd and par-5 3rd were useful enough to put him in a comfortable position.
Another glaring aspect due to which Stanley stood out was recording a bogey-free round. He did his best to avoid bogeys right from the start and steered clear of messing up the scorecard.
Due to the rigorous practice he had before the match, he looked comfortable with his swing speed and putting accuracy. Being mentally-fit helped him produce good moves on most of the holes.
The second last round was not that spectacular. He seemed to make the scenario difficult for him by shooting 3 bogeys.
He capped the tournament by making a putt from four feet for par.
"I really feel for him, experiencing that," Stanley said of Levin who faced the same situation as he faced after losing to Snedeker at Torrey Pines.
Thanks to good nature and sportsman spirit, Stanley was more than kind after seeing Levin lose a winnable event.
He said that he did not think he would clinch a victory in the last moments as Levin had consolidated his position by performing well.
Stanley commented, "You don't want to wish that upon anybody. He's a very good player. Way too good of a player to not bounce back or recover".
The triumph must have lifted his fading hope now and he will surely eye bigger events in the days to come.
However, the American star was keen to say that whatever he did at Scottsdale was possible due to his family and fans.
He said, "I just want to thank my mom and dad. They've done a lot for me. I'm speechless".
Stanley had been under intense fire just 2 weeks back, with several observers and his fans questioning his strength after Torrey Pines loss to Snedeker.
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