Ben Crane got off to a good start and finished one shot ahead of Michael Sim, Brandt Snedeker and Marc Leishman for his first PGA TOUR win in five years at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
Crane made three birdies in the first five holes to take the lead. He added another on the 11th hole for a two shot cushion that he would need heading down the stretch. Crane made bogeys on the 13th and 17th holes before finishing with a par on the 18th for the win.
All three players in second place had their chances. Leishman’s back nine run featured birdies on the 13th, 16th and 17th holes. Snedeker made birdies on the 11th, 13th, 14th and 17th holes to pull within a shot of Crane. Sim, who was playing with Crane, made three pars on the final holes to fall one shot short of his first PGA TOUR win. But, all fell one shot short of an early season win.
Ernie Els finished the tournament strong with rounds of 69 over the weekend and a fifth place finish at 11-under par. With Els in fifth place were rookie Rickie Fowler, Michael Allen and Alex Prugh. Six players tied for ninth place, including Robert Allenby. Allenby was climbing the leaderboard in the final round with five birdies in the first 13 holes. Then, he made consecutive bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes followed by a triple-bogey on the 17th hole to fall to eight-under par. He finished with an eagle on the final hole. Tied with Allenby at 10-under par were Lucas Glover, Nick Watney, Charles Howell III, D. A. Points and Ryuji Imada, who led at the start of the day but shot 75.
Phil Mickelson never recovered from a three bogey start and finished in 19th place. He did stir up some controversy hinting at legal action for slander at Scott McCarron, who accused Mickelson of “cheating” by using the pre-1990 Ping-Eye 2 wedges. These wedges are exempt from the new rule banning square grooves (see statement from PGA TOUR).
Crane wins Farmers Insurance Open
Crane made three birdies in the first five holes to take the lead. He added another on the 11th hole for a two shot cushion that he would need heading down the stretch. Crane made bogeys on the 13th and 17th holes before finishing with a par on the 18th for the win.
All three players in second place had their chances. Leishman’s back nine run featured birdies on the 13th, 16th and 17th holes. Snedeker made birdies on the 11th, 13th, 14th and 17th holes to pull within a shot of Crane. Sim, who was playing with Crane, made three pars on the final holes to fall one shot short of his first PGA TOUR win. But, all fell one shot short of an early season win.
Ernie Els finished the tournament strong with rounds of 69 over the weekend and a fifth place finish at 11-under par. With Els in fifth place were rookie Rickie Fowler, Michael Allen and Alex Prugh. Six players tied for ninth place, including Robert Allenby. Allenby was climbing the leaderboard in the final round with five birdies in the first 13 holes. Then, he made consecutive bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes followed by a triple-bogey on the 17th hole to fall to eight-under par. He finished with an eagle on the final hole. Tied with Allenby at 10-under par were Lucas Glover, Nick Watney, Charles Howell III, D. A. Points and Ryuji Imada, who led at the start of the day but shot 75.
Phil Mickelson never recovered from a three bogey start and finished in 19th place. He did stir up some controversy hinting at legal action for slander at Scott McCarron, who accused Mickelson of “cheating” by using the pre-1990 Ping-Eye 2 wedges. These wedges are exempt from the new rule banning square grooves (see statement from PGA TOUR).