Brooks Wins Record Third Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational
22 Nov 2009
by AmateurGolf.com Staff
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By Associated Press/Golfweek.com - November 22, 2009
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Mark Brooks won the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational for a record third time, birdieing three of the last four holes Sunday for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke victory over Rickie Fowler and D.A. Points.
The 48-year-old Brooks, the 1996 PGA champion, had a 12-under 276 total and became the first three-time winner in the tournament's 38-year history. The seven-time PGA Tour winner also won the unofficial event in 1992 and 2002.
“I believe I had only four bogeys the entire week and two of those were on short putts,” said Brooks, who had two bogeys and seven birdies Sunday, including a 16-footer on 18. “I kept the ball in the fairway and that's always been what I do best.”
The 20-year-old Fowler closed with a 69, and Points birdied the final two holes en route a 65 – the best round of the day at Pebble Beach.
Brooks earned $60,000 from the $300,000 purse.
“I’ve been coming here for almost 30 years,” said Brooks, whose best PGA Tour finish this season was a tie for 10th at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. “I hit a lot of good iron shots and I could have played bogey-free.”
Fowler, who had two top-10 finishes in the final month of the PGA Tour season, trailed Brooks by two shots after four holes. The two players exchanged leads until Brooks took the lead for good with a birdie on the 16th.
“He made some putts down the stretch. There wasn’t much I could do,” Fowler said.
Points made it close at the end.
“I knew I had to be aggressive,” said Points. “I was trying for eagle on the final hole. I thought it would get me into a playoff.”
Mina Harigae shot a 68 to finish at 6 under. She was the only one of the four women in the field to make the cut.