Brandt Snedeker parred the second playoff hole for an improbable victory in the US PGA Tour’s Farmer’s Insurance Open after Kyle Stanley surrendered a three-shot lead on the 72nd hole. Stanley, who led by as many as seven shots, arrived at the last hole of regulation with a three-shot cushion. But his approach at the par-five rolled into the water and he ended up with a triple-bogey eight for a two-over 74 for a 16-under total of 272. Snedeker was already off the course after capping his 67 on the Torrey Pines South course with a birdie at the last, where he landed a wedge to about a foot and tapped in. Even after that final flourish Snedeker didn’t imagine that he’d have a chance to win. However, after Stanley’s disaster, the two returned to the 18th for the first hole of the sudden-death playoff. Both birdied the par-five and they moved on the the par-three 16th.
Snedeker was over the green but his ball settled at the base of a television tower. He chipped on and made his five-footer for par, while Stanley’s putt of similar length burned the edge but didn’t drop. “It’s just crazy,” Snedeker said. “To get my mind around what happened the last 30 minutes is pretty hard to do right now. My heart is out to Kyle. I feel bad for him to have to go through this.” The devastating defeat left Stanley still in search of his first US PGA Tour win, while Snedeker captured his third title. He could barely control his emotions after a week of superb play ended in bitter disappointment. “It’s not a hard golf hole,” the 24-year-old said. “I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an eight.”
