Rookie Long holds off Mickelson for first ever win
What happened at the Desert Classic?
Well, it was dramatic.
In the end it was Adam Long who kept his cool to birdie the 18th hole and pick up his first PGA Tour title.
In a rollercoaster of a final round, the final group walked down the 18th fairway in a tie for the lead.
Long, the most unlikely candidate of the trio, which was made up of Adam Hadwin and 18-, 36- and 54-hole leader Phil Mickelson, hit a career 8-iron to the final green to set up a 10-footer for the win. Just watch…
Three tied for the lead.
Advantage? Adam Long (@ALongShot).
It comes down to this at the @Desert_Classic.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/zP07enw545
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 20, 2019
And he rolled in the winning putt like a seasoned professional…
A long shot to win? Not at all.
Adam Long (@ALongShot) just came up CLUTCH.
He's won the @Desert_Classic in dramatic fashion.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/AdyCQzkLlH
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 20, 2019
Safe to say he didn’t really expect it himself…
"Holy crap."
The reactions say it all for @ALongShot.
What a win. ❤?#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/7JB95I62Vc
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 20, 2019
As for Hadwin, it was again a case of close but no cigar. His three previous appearances at the tournament had led to finishes of 6th, 2nd and 3rd, and now he can add another runner-up finish.
For Mickelson, he’ll move on and continue the search for a 44th PGA Tour victory. He just couldn’t seem to hole a meaningful putt throughout.
But the story here is definitely with the champion, a 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie who picked up a truly life-changing win.
Adam Long by the numbers:
Age: 31
PGA TOUR starts: 5
Missed cuts: 4
Best finish: T63
World ranking: 417
FedExCup: 205 (out of 218)Now a PGA TOUR winner.
— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) January 20, 2019
Talking Point
This time of year is always packed with equipment news, announcements and several changes for the world’s best players.
This year’s most notable switch involves the World No. 1, Justin Rose, who made the move from TaylorMade to Japanese brand Honma.
There were many different viewpoints aired on social media and beyond in relation to the change and many thought that this could be a poor move for a golfer arguably playing the best golf of his life.
Of course, there are some who believe that it is a brilliant decision, and he is right to cash on his best ever season with a big-money switch.
As we’ve seen time and again, equipment changes can have a huge impact on a players performance, be it negative or positive.
The early signs won’t have too many JR fans worried though, as he played some very solid golf on the way to a tied-34th finish at the Desert Classic.
Perhaps the finances involved with the Honma deal were a big factor in the switch, or perhaps the clubs genuinely will compliment Rose’s game. However, we do believe that there is one particularly important reason behind the Englishman’s decision.
Only time will tell whether this has been the right choice or not…
Joe Hughes
Tour editor covering men's golf, women's golf and anything else that involves the word golf, really. The talk is far better than the game, but the work has begun to change that.
