Pat Perez scores his first US PGA
Tour win in Bob Hope Classic
FROM THE A O L GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Pat Perez claimed his first US PGA Tour title as he eagled the final hole to seal the Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta, California. It was his 158th tournament in his seven years on the circuit.
The 32-year-old carded a three-under-par 69 in the fifth and final round to finish 33 under par and win by three strokes from John Merrick, who signed for a 67.
Perez was delighted his first victory came at a tournament hosted by the legendary Arnold Palmer, saying: "I think it's special. I feel privileged to win the tournament that Mr Palmer won 50 years ago and now he's back hosting it. Today, I knew that I was ready. I prepared myself all week."
Steve Stricker entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Perez but a five-over-par round of 77 scuppered his chances as he finished five strokes back. Merrick held a share of the lead before a bogey at the 17th saw his charge falter.
Merrick said: "I think I got a little quick. On the last three holes, I didn't go through my whole process like I was during the whole day, and that could have hurt me. But it was playing tough out there. And I think I made two bogeys today, and that's not bad out there in that wind."
Stricker, who fired a 62 on Saturday, ended in a tie for third with Canadian Mike Weir (67), saying: "It's just a couple of bad swings that really cost me big time. And I hit them in spots where I couldn't recover from them. It was tough to judge the wind."
Despite windy conditions that included gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, Stephen Ames fired a 63 - the lowest round of the day - to climb into a tie for fifth with Bo Van Pelt (67), Tim Clark (69) and Webb Simpson (69).
However, the day belonged to Perez. A double-bogey on the fifth hole ended a run of three consecutive birdies. After a par on the sixth, Perez dropped another stroke with a bogey on the seventh but bounced back with birdies on the eighth and 11th.
He was one-under on the day until he hit a perfect drive on the 18th and followed it up with a six-iron near the flag.
Perez said: "I hit it right just in, just left of the bunker. But I had two mind sets. I was going to wait to see what (Merrick) did. If he made four, I have to hit a good shot because I'm not going to a play-off. I don't think I could have hit that shot again to be honest with you."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 360 (5 x 72)
327 Pat Perez 61 63 67 67 69
330 John Merrick 68 65 67 63 67
332 Steve Stricker 65 67 61 62 77, Mike Weir (Can) 62 70 67 66 67
333 Bo Van Pelt 66 65 68 67 67, Tim Clark (Rsa) 66 69 63 66 69, Stephen Ames (Can) 71 63 70 66 63, Webb Simpson 68 66 64 66 69
334 Brad Adamonis 67 62 71 69 65, Chad Campbell 66 71 68 65 64, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 63 65 67 69 70, John Senden (Aus) 67 70 65 64 68, Tom Pernice jun 65 63 68 69 69
335 Chris Stroud 65 63 67 69 71, Robert Garrigus 67 65 64 66 73, Bill Lunde 67 68 62 69 69, Rich Beem 66 65 65 68 71, D J Trahan 65 67 65 68 70
336 Charley Hoffman 72 66 64 65 69, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 66 70 62 67 71, Brian Gay 65 70 72 63 66, Lucas Glover 65 68 68 67 68, John Huston 69 70 64 64 69, Scott Piercy 66 66 70 65 69
337 Nick Watney 66 71 72 63 65, Colt Knost 69 68 70 63 67, Chris DiMarco 64 68 69 66 70, David Toms 68 65 68 67 69, Matt Kuchar 66 67 71 69 64, Bubba Watson 62 69 68 63 75, John Mallinger 66 67 65 68 71, Steve Marino 65 69 64 70 69, Bill Haas 68 68 67 67 67
338 Charlie Wi (Kor) 68 67 61 71 71, Scott McCarron 66 68 63 69 72, Vaughn Taylor 63 67 64 68 76, Casey Wittenberg 69 66 64 68 71, David Berganio jun 63 64 68 70 73, Jason Dufner 63 65 67 71 72, David Mathis 66 66 69 65 72, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 67 65 69 67 70
339 Jerry Kelly 66 71 65 68 69, Justin Leonard 72 67 63 68 69, Cameron Beckman 68 67 70 68 66, Ken Duke 68 68 64 71 68, Woody Austin 66 68 68 67 70, Briny Baird 63 63 70 72 71
340 Dean Wilson 67 71 66 65 71, Joe Durant 73 66 65 69 67, Joe Ogilvie 70 73 67 62 68, Ryan Palmer 70 65 66 66 73, Kevin Sutherland 64 67 67 69 73, Cliff Kresge 68 63 67 73 69
341 Ben Crane 63 70 70 69 69, Martin Laird (Sco) 67 68 68 68 70, Heath Slocum 65 67 73 65 71, Rick Price 64 70 66 69 72
342 Alex Cejka (Ger) 68 67 68 70 69, Nicholas Thompson 66 70 68 68 70
343 Jeff Klauk 67 67 67 69 73, Michael Allen 68 71 66 68 70, Chris Couch 67 63 69 66 78, Fred Couples 68 72 64 68 71, Peter Lonard (Aus) 65 67 68 69 74, Jason Bohn 66 70 65 67 75
344 Dustin Johnson 68 71 67 66 72, Bob Estes 66 69 66 71 72, Tim Petrovic 68 69 65 71 71, Chez Reavie 66 66 68 69 75
345 Kirk Triplett 67 69 69 65 75, Michael Letzig 66 68 68 71 72, Steve Lowery 67 65 71 68 74
348 Glen Day 65 68 71 67 77
350 Brendon De Jonge 67 70 65 70 78
Tour win in Bob Hope Classic
FROM THE A O L GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Pat Perez claimed his first US PGA Tour title as he eagled the final hole to seal the Bob Hope Classic at La Quinta, California. It was his 158th tournament in his seven years on the circuit.
The 32-year-old carded a three-under-par 69 in the fifth and final round to finish 33 under par and win by three strokes from John Merrick, who signed for a 67.
Perez was delighted his first victory came at a tournament hosted by the legendary Arnold Palmer, saying: "I think it's special. I feel privileged to win the tournament that Mr Palmer won 50 years ago and now he's back hosting it. Today, I knew that I was ready. I prepared myself all week."
Steve Stricker entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Perez but a five-over-par round of 77 scuppered his chances as he finished five strokes back. Merrick held a share of the lead before a bogey at the 17th saw his charge falter.
Merrick said: "I think I got a little quick. On the last three holes, I didn't go through my whole process like I was during the whole day, and that could have hurt me. But it was playing tough out there. And I think I made two bogeys today, and that's not bad out there in that wind."
Stricker, who fired a 62 on Saturday, ended in a tie for third with Canadian Mike Weir (67), saying: "It's just a couple of bad swings that really cost me big time. And I hit them in spots where I couldn't recover from them. It was tough to judge the wind."
Despite windy conditions that included gusts of up to 40 miles per hour, Stephen Ames fired a 63 - the lowest round of the day - to climb into a tie for fifth with Bo Van Pelt (67), Tim Clark (69) and Webb Simpson (69).
However, the day belonged to Perez. A double-bogey on the fifth hole ended a run of three consecutive birdies. After a par on the sixth, Perez dropped another stroke with a bogey on the seventh but bounced back with birdies on the eighth and 11th.
He was one-under on the day until he hit a perfect drive on the 18th and followed it up with a six-iron near the flag.
Perez said: "I hit it right just in, just left of the bunker. But I had two mind sets. I was going to wait to see what (Merrick) did. If he made four, I have to hit a good shot because I'm not going to a play-off. I don't think I could have hit that shot again to be honest with you."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 360 (5 x 72)
327 Pat Perez 61 63 67 67 69
330 John Merrick 68 65 67 63 67
332 Steve Stricker 65 67 61 62 77, Mike Weir (Can) 62 70 67 66 67
333 Bo Van Pelt 66 65 68 67 67, Tim Clark (Rsa) 66 69 63 66 69, Stephen Ames (Can) 71 63 70 66 63, Webb Simpson 68 66 64 66 69
334 Brad Adamonis 67 62 71 69 65, Chad Campbell 66 71 68 65 64, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 63 65 67 69 70, John Senden (Aus) 67 70 65 64 68, Tom Pernice jun 65 63 68 69 69
335 Chris Stroud 65 63 67 69 71, Robert Garrigus 67 65 64 66 73, Bill Lunde 67 68 62 69 69, Rich Beem 66 65 65 68 71, D J Trahan 65 67 65 68 70
336 Charley Hoffman 72 66 64 65 69, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 66 70 62 67 71, Brian Gay 65 70 72 63 66, Lucas Glover 65 68 68 67 68, John Huston 69 70 64 64 69, Scott Piercy 66 66 70 65 69
337 Nick Watney 66 71 72 63 65, Colt Knost 69 68 70 63 67, Chris DiMarco 64 68 69 66 70, David Toms 68 65 68 67 69, Matt Kuchar 66 67 71 69 64, Bubba Watson 62 69 68 63 75, John Mallinger 66 67 65 68 71, Steve Marino 65 69 64 70 69, Bill Haas 68 68 67 67 67
338 Charlie Wi (Kor) 68 67 61 71 71, Scott McCarron 66 68 63 69 72, Vaughn Taylor 63 67 64 68 76, Casey Wittenberg 69 66 64 68 71, David Berganio jun 63 64 68 70 73, Jason Dufner 63 65 67 71 72, David Mathis 66 66 69 65 72, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 67 65 69 67 70
339 Jerry Kelly 66 71 65 68 69, Justin Leonard 72 67 63 68 69, Cameron Beckman 68 67 70 68 66, Ken Duke 68 68 64 71 68, Woody Austin 66 68 68 67 70, Briny Baird 63 63 70 72 71
340 Dean Wilson 67 71 66 65 71, Joe Durant 73 66 65 69 67, Joe Ogilvie 70 73 67 62 68, Ryan Palmer 70 65 66 66 73, Kevin Sutherland 64 67 67 69 73, Cliff Kresge 68 63 67 73 69
341 Ben Crane 63 70 70 69 69, Martin Laird (Sco) 67 68 68 68 70, Heath Slocum 65 67 73 65 71, Rick Price 64 70 66 69 72
342 Alex Cejka (Ger) 68 67 68 70 69, Nicholas Thompson 66 70 68 68 70
343 Jeff Klauk 67 67 67 69 73, Michael Allen 68 71 66 68 70, Chris Couch 67 63 69 66 78, Fred Couples 68 72 64 68 71, Peter Lonard (Aus) 65 67 68 69 74, Jason Bohn 66 70 65 67 75
344 Dustin Johnson 68 71 67 66 72, Bob Estes 66 69 66 71 72, Tim Petrovic 68 69 65 71 71, Chez Reavie 66 66 68 69 75
345 Kirk Triplett 67 69 69 65 75, Michael Letzig 66 68 68 71 72, Steve Lowery 67 65 71 68 74
348 Glen Day 65 68 71 67 77
350 Brendon De Jonge 67 70 65 70 78
Labels: US PGA TOUR, US PRO TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, January 26, 2009
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