Fabian Gomez seals FedEx St Jude Classic title
Argentinian Fabian Gomez recorded his first win at the FedEx St Jude Classic with a four stroke victory over joint overnight leader Greg Owen.
“For me it’s like a dream come true,” said the Argentinian. “Winning on the PGA Tour is really tough. You have many great players, and winning here with so many players is amazing.
“It’s an honor for me to get in that list of great names of DeVicenzo and now the time to enjoy the moment.
“Winning a tournament is a big thing, because, you know, you have two-year exemption and after that, probably play a little less stressful every week and not thinking too much, keep your card, you know, and just only win another tournament.”
Owen had held a joint lead with Gomez, but a series of poor holes saw the Englishman fall behind the 36-year old Argentinian.
“If you’d have offered me second at the start of the week, I’d have grabbed it easily,” said Owen. “I just didn’t hit enough fairways today.
“I played pretty good until 9, then I hit an awful shot – I don’t know where that came from.
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“I just kept leaving myself in awful positions.
“It’s been a good week, I just didn’t play well enough to win a tournament.
“To win you’ve got to be special and Fabian proved it. He played great.”
Gomez’s four-under par final round 66, proved too much for Owen. With the Englishman only able to record a level-par 70, which saw Gomez take his first PGA Tour win.
Phil Mickelson finished in tied-third position alongside fellow Americans Brooks Koepka, Michael Thompson, South Korean Seung-Yul Noh and Australian Matt Jones.
The 44-year old carded rounds of 68, 69, 70 and a final round five-under par 65 to see finish eight-under for the tournament.
This, Mickelson’s last event prior to the Chamber’s Bay curtain raiser at the US Open.
The last event before the US Open, the field is distinctly lacking prior to Chambers Bay Major debut.
“I think it’s a wonderful golf course to play,” said six-time US Open winner Phil Mickelson. “It provides numerous shot-making opportunities to get to a number of different pins.
“I think like St. Andrews, the first time you play it, you don’t know where to go, you don’t how the mounds will react.
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“You end up not understanding it, but the more you play St. Andrews, the more you play Chambers Bay, you get all these different pin placements, you can hit a variety of different shots, you have a number of options.
“It’s a really enjoyable challenge and fun golf course to play.”
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