It was a dramatic finish to the Quicken Loans National, and one that needed overtime to determine a winner. Here’s how things ended up at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, where Kyle Stanley edged Charles Howell III on the first extra hole:
Leaderboard: Kyle Stanley (-7), Charles Howell III (-7), Rickie Fowler (-5), Martin Laird (-5), Spencer Levin (-4), David Lingmerth (-4), Sung Kang (-4)
What it means: Lingmerth and Daniel Summerhays started the day out in front, but both were wobbly out of the gates. That opened the door for Howell and Stanley, both of whom shot rounds of 4-under 66 to force a playoff with eyes on ending lengthy victory droughts. The trophy went to Stanley in short order, as Howell bogeyed the first extra hole and Stanley rolled in a 4-footer for his first win since the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Round of the day: Nick Watney made the day’s biggest move after closing with a 6-under 64. The veteran birdied each of his first three holes and carded seven birdies on the day, vaulting from 10 shots off the pace all the way into a tie for 13th at 3 under despite failing to break 70 in each of the first three rounds.
Best of the rest: Fowler had the day’s most colorful scorecard, notching a career-high nine birdies en route to a 5-under 65. Fowler’s run peaked with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch from Nos. 7-13, but his title chances ended when he made a double bogey on the driveable 14th hole. Despite the hiccup, he bounced back to birdie Nos. 16 and 18 to snag a share of third.
Biggest disappointment: Lingmerth started the day with a one-shot lead and was poised to finish a wire-to-wire victory. But he bogeyed two of his first five holes and suffered a blow at a critical juncture when he made a double on the difficult par-4 11th hole. Lingmerth ultimately signed for a 3-over 74 that left him three shots back and one shot short of qualifying for The Open.
Shot of the day: Stanley’s approach barely rolled through the green during the playoff, but a deft downhill pitch left him only a few feet for par to seal the win.
Quote of the day: “It means a lot. I’ve had so much help from my coaches, my family, my wife. It’s hard to put it into words.” – Stanley
Source: Internet
