Brendan Steele captured his second career victory on the US PGA Tour with a one-shot win at the Safeway Open. (Getty Images)
A year ago, Brendan Steele held the 54-hole Safeway Open lead at Silverado Resort
and Spa, only to card a final-round 76 and end up in a tie for 17th.
This time around, Steele scripted himself a much different ending in
Napa, California
Steele, a California native, shot 12 under on the weekend and erased a
four-shot deficit Sunday with a closing 7-under 65 to win the Safeway
Open by a shot.
“This is a little bit of redemption from last year,” said Steele, 33,
who was born in Idyllwild, Calif., and attended UC Riverside. “You
don’t often get that chance in life to really redeem yourself in the
same way at the same place.”
Steele, who finished 63rd in the FedEx Cup standings last season,
birdied his final three holes to finish at 18 under, and then held off
Patton Kizzire, the 54-hole leader, who closed with 70 to finish
runner-up. The victory marks Steele’s second career US PGA Tour title, following
his maiden win at the 2011 Valero Texas Open. But it’s his first Tour
triumph with a short putter.
“I’m really proud of that,” Steele said. “Making that transition was a little tough.”
Steele finished 149th on Tour last season in strokes gained: putting
(-0.257). In Napa this week, Steele gained 1.636 strokes on the greens.
“My putting coming down the stretch was really the most important thing,” Steele said.
The putts dropped for Steele in wine country, and now his upcoming
year on Tour is a bit more sparkling with invites to Kapalua for the
Tournament of Champions, as well as two majors, the PGA Championship and
the Masters.
Ah, the sweet taste of redemption. England's Paul Casey finished third with a 69 for 272 - two behind the winner. Scot Martin Laird signed off with a 71 for 274 and tied eighth alonside Phil Mickelson and others
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