Trailing leader Lingkun Kong by one heading to the final hole of the Pasadena City Championship, An channeled course knowledge to sink a clutch birdie putt, and did so beside the historic home to his future university’s football team.
The three at 18 put An at 4-under for the tournament, though he would have to wait for the last pairing to finish. Kong, also 4-under at the time, parred his two closing holes while UC Santa Barbara sophomore Blake McGovern failed to make a needed birdie to join An and Kong for extra holes.
Long birdie tries on the first playoff hole slipped by for both An and Kong, who turned back away from the setting sun to play the narrow par-4 ninth. With the north entrance to the Rose Bowl just yards away, An nestled a shot from the greenside bunker to within six feet and cashed it in after Kong’s par attempt rolled past.
“It’s definitely memorable,” An said. “I’m going to be here [at the Rose Bowl] a lot so to come back to good memories is always nice.”
PHOTO GALLERY
An’s final-round 66 was the best score posted on the longer C.W. Koiner course, edging Kong’s opening 67 on Friday.
McGovern, whose Saturday 64 on the shorter E.O. Nay course was low round of the tournament by two, finished in third.
Eight-time winner and four-time defending champion Tim Hogarth’s chance at a five-peat was diminished following an opening-round 76 on Koiner side, though a Sunday run gave the Northridge resident an outside shot.
Hogarth strung together five birdies from holes 5 to 15, putting him inside the top-five at 1-under par. Though he would go on to finish solo seventh after a deflating double-bogey at the 16th.
Dan Sullivan, another former winner, did manage to crack the top-five, tying for fourth with Scotland Schmidt, who shared the lead at various points during the day but like Hogarth, the final three holes were unkind.
Sullivan, twice champion at the Pasadena City, birdied three of his last five holes to post 70 on Sunday.