Fabian Gomez wins Sony Open on 2nd playoff hole against Snedeker
Fabian Gomez is a two-time PGA Tour winner, taking the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff against Brandt Snedeker.
Playing the par-5 18th at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu for the third time that day, Gomez scored his second birdie, building on the first that he made on the 72nd hole of regulation that landed him in overtime with a 20-under 260 total. Snedeker, who shot 66 in the final round, had a chance to match Gomez on the second playoff hole with a 10-foot birdie putt of his own, but the putt never scared the hole.
Gomez’s birdie on the final hole of regulation capped off a closing 8-under 62, which included a streak of seven consecutive birdies, the second-longest final-round streak ever posted by a PGA Tour winner. However, after putting his seventh-straight circle in a row on the card, Gomez made back-to-back bogeys, turning a possible run at 59 into a shaky chance to win. The 37-year-old came on strong, however, not only making a birdie at the last but also at the par-3 17th.
Now Gomez has wins in consecutive years, building on last year’s four-shot win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
However, it’s unlikely many people saw this follow-up win coming. In the 13 PGA Tour starts since the Argentinian’s win last June, he had finished in the top 10 just once — last week when he was T-6 in the 32-player Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Zac Blair, who shared the 54-hole lead with Snedeker, came up a shot short of getting into the playoff. His 280-yard second shot to the 18th wound up just 10 feet away for a tying eagle. The putt didn’t drop, however, leaving the 25-year-old BYU product at 19 under par.
Blair was three clear of fourth-place 20-year-old Korean Si Woo Kim.
Kevin Kisner and Greg Owen finished tied for fifth at 15 under par.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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