For most of the day, Scott Stallings probably wasn’t even included in your potential playoff scenarios at the Farmers Insurance Open. As seemingly everyone in San Diego County played their way into contention at Torrey Pines, Stallings simply made more putts than the rest of the field and it paid off for the 28-year-old, who earned his third PGA TOUR win. Stallings led the field in strokes gained-putting for the week, thanks in part to a tip he received from his unofficial putting coach, David Robinson (not that David Robinson; this one caddies for Blake Adams).
After birdies at Nos. 11, 13 and 14, Stallings rolled in another huge putt at 15 – a par saver from 15 feet that gave him enough breathing room to make bogey at 16. After (just barely) getting to the green in two at the par-5 finishing hole, Stallings sealed the win with a lovely two-putt for birdie. Was he ever thinking about laying up at that water-guarded 18th? After all, he blew the Humana Challenge a year ago by hooking a 6-iron in the water in an eerily similar situation.
The win is the biggest of Stallings’ career and the list of past champions wasn’t lost on him.