Tearful Stanley in shock after defeat
Kyle Stanley, who had maintained ice-cool composure on and off the course virtually all week at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, broke down in tears after being beaten in a playoff for the title on Sunday.
The 24-year-old American had briefly led by seven shots early in Sunday's final round at Torrey Pines, but threw away a three-stroke advantage on the par-five last hole.
Needing no worse than a double-bogey seven to claim his first PGA Tour, Stanley spun a sand wedge into water with his approach at the 18th before three-putting for an eight to take the tournament into sudden-death.
"It's tough, it's really tough to take," Stanley, choking back tears while fighting to express his emotions, told reporters after losing to fellow American Brandt Snedeker on the second extra hole.
"I know I'll be back. I'm not worried about that.
"It's just tough to swallow right now. I just need to be patient. One of my goals coming into this year was to just keep putting myself in position, and I'll do that."
Stanley, who suffered a disappointing loss by a stroke to countryman Steve Stricker at last year's John Deere Classic, was still reeling in shock from how the final hole in regulation had panned out.
BIG HITTER
A prodigious hitter who had overpowered the challenging South Course most of the week, Stanley thought he had hit an ideal sand wedge after deciding to lay up in two at the 570-yard 18th.
"We tried to lay it up close enough so that we wouldn't put that much spin on it," said the wiry American, who wore wraparound sunglasses during Sunday's final round.
"I thought I had a pretty good shot but it just had too much spin."
Stanley's approach spun back 25 feet before rolling down the slope into the pond guarding the front of the green.
After taking a penalty stroke, he struck another wedge to 45 feet of the hole from where he three-putted, missing a three-footer that would have won him the tournament in regulation.
"That putt just broke left," said Stanley.
"Looking back, I don't really know what I was thinking. It's not a hard golf hole. It's really a pretty straightforward par-five. I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an eight."