PGA TOUR Rookie Scott Stallings Wins The Greenbrier Classic
Scott Stallings made back to back birdies on the 72nd hole and the first playoff hole to win the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia this week. Stallings defeated Bill Haas and Bob Estes who both made par on the first playoff hole to finish in a tie for second.
(Stallings celebrates after making his birdie on the first playoff hole. Photo: Golf.com)
Stallings wouldn’t have been in the playoff if not for a spectacular birdie on the 18th hole. An excellent tee just a few feet from the pin gave him a birdie opportunity and he took full advantage by knocking it in. Just a few minutes later Stallings re-teed on the 18th for a playoff and put his tee shot in virtually the same spot and closest to the pin. In a familiar spot, Stallings took full advantage of his previous read and rolled in the 7-footer to win.
The win is the first PGA TOUR victory for Stallings, a 26 year old rookie from Worcester, Massachusetts. He became the 11th first time winner on the PGA TOUR this season and did so in his 21st career start. Prior to his win this week his best finish was 3rd place at the Transitions Championship and had made the cut in only 8 of 20 events. He earned $1,080,000, a two year exemption on the PGA TOUR and 500 FedEx Cup points. The points were good enough to move Stallings from 88th to 26th in the standings.
Notes and Notables
The headline player this week at the Greenbrier Classic, Phil Mickelson, missed the cut for the first time the season. Mickelson shot a an even par 70 in round one but shot 73 in the second round to come up two strokes short of making the cut. Mickelson finished in a tie for second just two weeks ago at the British Open Championship.
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