Fresno City Championship: Angel eagles 18 to win

FRESNO, Calif. (May 26, 2008)--It took a while, but when Todd Angel finally took home his first-ever tournament victory, he did in just about the most dramatic fashion possible. The 21-year-old Fresno State sophomore sunk an eight-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to pull off a one-stroke victory over incoming Fresno State freshman Bryan Hogan to take home the title at the 81st annual event. Things looked gloomy after Angel double-bogeyed the ninth hole, but he went birdie, par, birdie, par to find himself trailing Hogan by a stroke heading into 18. His tee shot found the rough, but he stuck his 9-iron approach eight feet from the cup and rolled home the winning putt. He finished 70-68-73--214, 5-under-par. Hogan parred the hole and finished in second at 215. "I was just trying to keep calm and make a good finish on the back," Angel told the Fresno Bee. "I just kept telling myself: Don't give up, have a good finish." "Today was a perfect example of how much I have changed," he continued. "The old Todd would have been so upset after [the double-bogey at] No. 9. But I told myself to hang in there and grind out some pars and give myself opportunities for birdies." Angel had previously been the two-time runner-up at the Fresno City Junior and again at the san Joaquin Valley Junior. Matt Fagundes and Jamie Looper shared third-place honors at 213, while Chick Valley and Grant Doverspike were the only other players in the red at 1-under 215.