PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Having gone more than seven years and 199 tournaments without winning, Steve Lowery had every reason to feel out of his element Sunday.
He was on the 18th tee at Pebble Beach, one of the most famous spots in golf.
He was in a playoff against Vijay Singh, one of golf’s toughest customers.
And he never felt more at ease.
Lowery took advantage of a stunning collapse by Singh, who made three straight bogeys on the back nine, then put him away on the first extra hole with a 7-foot birdie putt to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
“I couldn’t have given it any more in 18 holes,” said Lowery, who closed with a 4-under-par 68. “I just told my caddie, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose.’ Just go out and play aggressive. If anything, it kind of freed me up a little it.”
The 47-year-old Lowery became the oldest champion in the 71-year history of the event, and under a variety of circumstances, one of the more surprising winners.
He was No. 305 in the world ranking when he arrived on the Monterey Peninsula. He suffered a freak wrist injury last year that kept him out for three months and gave him temporary status this season.
Most surprising of all is that Lowery was three shots behind Singh when he walked off the 14th tee.
Singh made three straight bogeys, but hit a wedge within 2 feet on the 18th hole for birdie and a 71 that allowed him another chance in a playoff. That didn’t last long, as Singh found two more bunkers on the 18th in the playoff and did well to make par.
Both players finished at 10-under 278.
Hoch hot down the stretch
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Scott Hoch made birdies on five of the final eight holes for a one-shot victory in the Allianz Championship.
Hoch, who fell three shots off the lead after a bogey on the 10th hole, finished with birdies on No. 17 and No. 18 for a 4-under 68 and a win over Brad Bryant and Bruce Lietzke.
Footnotes
Former caddie Shiv Chowrasia of India clinched the Indian Masters title in New Delhi with a 5-under 67.
The 29-year-old had a bogey-free final round to win his maiden European Tour title. He finished at 9-under 279, two strokes ahead of Ireland’s Damien McGrane.
• England’s Lisa Hall (66) won the Australian Ladies Masters in Gold Coast when Shin Hyun-ju (68) missed a 3-foot par putt on the final hole.
The Associated Press
