Kyle Stanley claimed his second PGA Tour title with a playoff victory over Charles Howell III in the Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac.
Kyle Stanley and Charles Howell III began the final round of the Quicken Loans National four shots off the pace but both men fired excellent closing rounds of 66 to climb the board and end tied at the top on seven-under-par.
Nobody in the closing three groups could match that total and that meant a playoff between Stanley and Howell III was required to decide the winner of the championship.
Playing the par-4 18th as the first playoff hole, both men sent their drives to the right. Stanley was fortunate as he found a decent lie but it didn’t help too much as he and Howell III both missed the green with their second shots.
Howell III chipped on to within 12 feet of the hole then Stanley pitched up closer, to five feet. Howell missed his par putt leaving Stanley with a chance to hole out and claim the win. He rolled it home to claim a second PGA Tour win, five years after his first in the Phoenix Open of 2012.
3 Talking points from the Quicken Loans National
1 – It was an emotional win for Kyle Stanley. The 29-year-old won in 2012 and looked likely to go on from there and become a top player. But he lost his way somewhat and fell as far as 683rd on the Official World Golf Ranking. This year he has regained his form with five top-25 finishes. With this win he has climbed to 14th on the FedEx Cup standings. “It's been a huge team effort,” he said. “It just feels good to put the work in and to see the rewards.”
2 – Both Kyle Stanley and Charles Howell III secured places in The Open Championship thanks to their performance in this tournament. Scotland’s Martin Laird finished tied third and also gained a spot at Royal Birkdale and the fourth and final place went to Sung Kang of South Korea.
3 – Rickie Fowler thrilled the crowds with a final round that included nine birdies. Had it not been for a double bogey at the driveable 14th, he would have been in with a chance of victory. “My goal was to go out and shoot 62,” Fowler said. “Which, if I had birdied 14 - that was the number I had in mind, which I knew was possible out there with softer conditions.”
Quicken Loans National TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Potomac, Maryland Jun 29- Jul 2 Purse: $7,100,000 Par: 70
1 Kyle Stanley (USA) 70 70 67 66 273 $1,278,000 2 Charles Howell III (USA) 71 69 67 66 273 $766,800 T3 Rickie Fowler (USA) 70 72 68 65 275 $411,800 T3 Martin Laird (Sco) 67 72 69 67 275 $411,800 T5 Keegan Bradley (USA) 71 68 70 67 276 $216,994 T5 Sung Kang (Kor) 66 69 71 70 276 $216,994 T5 Marc Leishman (Aus) 66 72 72 66 276 $216,994 T5 Spencer Levin (USA) 70 70 65 71 276 $216,994 T5 David Lingmerth (Swe) 65 65 73 73 276 $216,994 T5 Curtis Luck (Aus) 68 71 67 70 276 $216,994 T5 Ben Martin (USA) 68 73 70 65 276 $216,994 T5 Johnson Wagner (USA) 66 71 71 68 276 $216,994
Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage
