La Jolla: Scott Stallings erased a three-shot deficit and birdied the 72nd hole on Sunday to break out of the pack and win the US PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open.
Stallings secured his third win in three years on the PGA Tour with a four-under-par 68. It was not always pretty, but it was enough for a winning nine-under-par total of 279.
The American finished one stroke in front of a field that was so closely packed that 10 different players held at least a share of the lead during the round.
However, none of them had to worry about a sneak attack from world No 1 Tiger Woods, an eight-time winner at Torrey Pines who missed the cut after a third-round 79.
Nor was local favourite Phil Mickelson on hand. He pulled out on Friday night with a sore back.
South Korean veteran K.J. Choi was among those whose named topped the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon. He posted the low round of the weekend with a six-under-par 66 that eventually left him tied for second on 280 with Canadian Graham DeLaet, Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman and American Pat Perez.
Leishman, the 2010 runner-up, went into the final round one shot off Gary Woodland’s lead and closed with a 71. DeLaet and Day both carded 68s while Perez notched a 70.
Charley Hoffman leaped 20 places up the leaderboard with a five-under 67 that gave him a share of seventh on 281. He was joined by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and Will MacKenzie, who both carded 70s.
Woodland struggled to a 74 to fall into a tie for 10th place with South Africa’s Trevor Immelman, South Korea’s Noh Seung-Yul, Scotland’s Russell Knox, Canadian Brad Fritsch and Justin Thomas.
Stallings’ victory brought with it an invitation to the Masters, but he acknowledged that his swing was anything but dialled in during a round that included seven birdies and three bogeys.
Stallings had six birdies and two bogeys in his last 11 holes and hit only four fairways in the final round.
His second shot at the last just cleared the water, and he got up and down for birdie at the par-five to seal the win.
Woodland looked to have the best chance of catching Stallings. He was one stroke behind before hooking his drive at 17 but three-putted from 45 feet for bogey, then missed a makeable birdie attempt at the last.
“This will be hard to swallow,” Woodland said. “I felt like I kind of gave one away today.”
