FCWT at PGA West: Granger pulls stunner
FCWT photo
LA QUINTA, Calif. (Jan. 4, 2009) -- Joshua Granger of Monrovia, CA (2009) started the final round of the PGA West Classic in 4th place after posting a 73 on Saturday on the TPC Stadium Course, but rallied on Sunday at his round at the Nicklaus Course, posting a tournament low 71 for a final of even-par, good for a one-stroke victory over the overnight leader Ben Itterman of Carlsbad, CA (2010).
Itterman, the defending champion of the event, set the pace when he fired a 2 under par 70 on Saturday to take the lead, he finished tied for 2nd with Chris Russo of Westlake Village, CA (2009). Russo, who carded the only eagle on Saturday in this division, earned his second Top 10 finish of the season after a T7 at the Mission Hills Challenge in December. Trevor Simsby shared low-round honors on Sunday allowing him to finish tied for 4th with Chris Gilbert of Simi Valley, CA (2009).
Gilbert, a 3rd season FCWT player, finished T3 at the Classic Club earlier this season.
Other notables include Tad Murray of La Quinta, CA (2010) who carded a final round of even par to finish in the Top 10. Granger and Russo each carded an eagle in this event.
Thirteen year old Peter Kyo Won Koo of Chandler, AZ (2014) is in his first FCWT season, but is quickly establishing himself as a force to contend with on the FCWT. Peter has played five events this season and has finished in the top-5 every time except one, when he finished 6th.
Sunday marked his 2nd win of the season after winning at Grayhawk in December. After starting the final round in third place, Koo posted a final round of 74 and won by three strokes over Kit Carson of Galt, CA (2012).
Koo carded rounds of 75-74, making him one of the only players in the entire field who was able to manage both courses - thus earning him the title. Koo led this division in pars with 27, while Ben Steinen of La Quinta, CA (2011) led in birdies with seven.
Carson, who started the day tied for 8th, also posted a final round of 74 to move into a tie for 2nd with Jonah Texeira of Solano Beach, CA (2014) who started the final round tied for 5th. Overnight leader, Ben Doyle of San Diego, CA (2014) finished in 4th place. Jonathan Keedy of Newport Beach, CA (2012) earned the 5th spot with a final round of 76.
Thirteen year old Rico Thome of GERMANY (2011), playing in his first FCWT event, carded an eagle on the fourth hole (the No. 1 handicap) and finished in sixth place.
In the Boys 11-12 division, Tyler Moore of Escondido, CA (2015) fired a 1-under-par round of 71 to lead all scores on Saturday and carded the low round for his division on Sunday with a 76.
Moore has proven he is a force with which to be reckoned winning five times in seven events.
Tiger Lee of Queensland, AUSTRALIA (2015), who carded the only eagle in the division - a two on the 10th hole of the Nicklaus Course, posted consecutive rounds of 78 to earn 2nd place for the second time in as many events.
Gavin deFisser of Gilbert, AZ (2015) finished in 3rd place, two strokes back of Lee.
At the end of Saturday's Round at the PGA West Classic, Nichole Corpus-Massucci of Henderson, NV (2010) and Lori Harper of Manhattan Beach, CA (2010) were tied for the lead with 18 holes left to play in the PGA West Classic.
As they moved from the TPC Stadium Course to the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Harper, who was playing in her first FCWT event, got off to a solid start making a couple of pars to set the pace. By the time the dust had settled Harper had tied for low round honors with Ashleigh Albrecht of Murrieta, notching a 75, netting her a two-stroke victory over Corpus-Massucci.
Albrecht's round allowed her to take home 3rd place.
Danielle Gillaspy of Santa Maria, CA (2011), Shannon Lubar of Littleton, CO (2012), who led this division in birdies with 3 on Saturday, and Sarah Baek of Encinitas, CA (2011) finished tied for 4th place.