Crane Wins Farmers Insurance Open

Ben Crane captured his first PGA Tour victory since 2005 after overhauling a two-shot deficit in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines to record a one-shot victory and lift the $954,000 first prize.

Crane’s two-under par round of 70 saw him edge in front of Australian Tour rookie Michael Sim, Brandt Snedeker and Marc Leishman who shared second spot. The win was Crane’s third on the PGA Tour and his first since winning the 2005 US Bank Championship.

Crane had vowed not to look at the leaderboard during his final round, and true to his word didn’t until the final putt fell into the hole. In fact, the player didn’t even know he had won until Japan’s Ryuji Imada congratulated him on his success.

Crane’s 13-under par total of 275 ended a 0-98 streak for the player and sees him earn a US Masters slot as well as an invite to Kapalua next January. There is also every chance the player could find himself among the world’s top 60 which would earn him the right to compete in the World Match Play Championship.

Three birdies in the opening five holes pushed Crane into the lead and the player found himself three ahead after a 45-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole. From there, it was a case of hanging on as the challengers queued up to have a crack at his lead.

One challenge, however, failed to materialise as Phil Mickelson – only four shots adrift of the lead going into the final round – never got going and a trio of bogeys on his first three holes ended his challenge. He closed with a 73 and finished 19th.

A stern challenge was also expected from Robert Allenby but five dropped shots on the closing four holes also sent the New Zealander’s hopes crashing.

It was left then to the rookies to challenge Crane and it was Sim who applied the pressure and the Tour newcomer pushed Crane all the way to the 17th and if his birdie putt on 17 had dropped, it could have been a whole new story as Crane missed his par putt from inside three feet.

Michael Allen celebrated his 51st birthday with five straight birdies for a Sunday-best 65, moving him into a tie for fifth with Ernie Els, Rickie Fowler and Alex Prugh.

It was a bad event for our pick, Ryan Moore, who couldn’t get going on his second round and eventually missed the cut.

Piercy heads the field at Torrey Pines

American golfer Scott Piercy heads the field after the first day’s play of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Piercy is playing only his second year as a Tour pro.

With the tournament being played over both the North and South courses, Piercy fired an opening round of 64 – 8-under-par over the North Course, which included seven birdies on the front nine.

With most of the top 15 players on the leaderboard having played the North Course – only Australia’s Robert Allenby broke the streak – it’s clear that the North Course played the easier of the two. And most of the events big names started their tournaments over the tougher South Course, including Phil Mickelson who opened with a two-under par 70.

Allenby – one of the most in-form players in the game at the moment, made two huge par saves late in his round to card a bogey-free 67 over the tougher South course, and like many of the event’s big-guns will tackle the easier North course for their second round.

Phil Mickelson played a cautious first round, but with the North Course to come will be hopeful of making up ground on the leaders over the easier course. Mickelson is bidding to win at Torrey Pines for the first time since 2001.

Also playing the South course were three-times Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa, who also carded a 70 while defending champion Nick Watney of the United States opened with a 71.

Our pick for the title, Ryan Moore opened his challenge on the North course and carded a 70.

To contrast the two courses’ relative difficulty, the scoring average on the 7,698-yard South Course was 72.769 on Thursday, more than 2.5 shots tougher than on the 6,986-yard North layout.

Farmer’s Insurance Open Preview

After the five-round extravaganza of the Bob Hope Classic, the PGA Tour moves onto Torrey Pines and the new Farmer’s Insurance Open. The event had formerly been known as the Buick Open.

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