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San Diego • Scott Stallings was in the 18th fairway at Torrey Pines, 222 yards from the front of the green, needing a birdie to give himself a shot at outright victory Sunday in the Farmers Insurance Open. That's when his caddie told him, "Let's see what you've got."
Above all, he had experience.
One year and one week ago, Stallings was in a similar situation at the Humana Challenge. He hit a 6-iron from 220 yards, forgetting to account for a hanging lie until the ball sailed left and bounded into the water, the final mistake on a day he blew a five-shot lead.
He didn't make the same mistake twice.
Stallings hammered a 4-iron that narrowly cleared the water and set up two putts from 40 feet for a birdie. It gave him a 4-under 68 and a one-shot lead that turned into a victory when no one could catch him.
"I don't think one would happen without the other," Stallings said. "I actually thought about 18 at Humana the whole time on 18 today. Not that I was like, 'Oh, don't hit it in the water.' But it was, 'Just make sure you pay attention to everything that's going on.' "
His final birdie capped off a wild day at Torrey Pines, one that didn't include Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson for the first time in two decades. Nine players had a share of the lead at one point. Eight players still had a reasonable chance in the final hour.
Stallings emerged the winner with one big shot, and now he's headed back to the Masters.
K.J. Choi had the best score of the week on the South Course with a 66 and was among five players who tied for second.
Stallings finished at 9-under 279.
LPGA Tour
Jessica Korda won the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic for her second tour title, holing a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole to beat Stacy Lewis by a stroke.
The 20-year-old Korda closed with a 7-under 66 for a 19-under 273 total on Atlantis Resort's Ocean Club course on Paradise Island. Lewis parred the final four holes for a 66.
Korda tied Lewis for the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. On the par-5 18th, Korda's 4-iron approach shot scampered through the green to the fringe just short of the grandstand. With an official and a TV announcer holding up cords that would have interfered with her stroke, she putted under the wires to set up the winning birdie.
Leaderboard
Farmers Insurance Open
Scott Stallings -9
K.J. Choi -8
Graham DeLaet -8
Jason Day -8
Pat Perez -8
Mark Leishman -8