Kyle Stanley had been trending upward recently, notching top-ten finishes at both The Players Championship and The Memorial in recent weeks. He added a win to that trend Sunday, defeating Charles Howell III in a playoff at TPC Potomac to win the Quicken Loans National.
Stanley, who began the day four shots behind 54-hole leader David Lingmerth, made five birdies and one bogey Sunday to earn a spot in the playoff. The win is Stanley’s second on the PGA Tour and his first since the 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Stanley lost his PGA Tour card in 2014 after finishing 181st in the FedEx Cup Standings that season. Things began to turn around when the Washington state golfer regained his card in 2015. This week’s win was the result of a long, difficult journey and moves Stanley to 14th in the FedEx Cup standings.
“There was some doubt there for a little bit. It’s no fun. You certainly question if you’ll get back and have a moment like this. It’s pretty special for sure,” Stanley said through tears.
On the Montgomery County golf course that places a premium on finding fairways, Stanley ranked fourth for the week in driving accuracy, hitting 40 of 57 fairways. He also ranked third in Strokes Gained: Tee to green.
“My ball striking has been pretty solid for the most part this entire year. My putting started to come around but everything’s been kind of consistent. I knew that it was just a matter of time,” Stanley said.
Howell III has now gone 294 consecutive starts without a win on the PGA Tour, his last victory came at Riviera in 2007.
Howell also began the day four shots behind Lingmerth. He fired a 4-under par 66 that included an eagle at the 14th to earn a spot in the playoff. This week’s Quicken Loans National was his first start since the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head after a rib injury sidelined him for two months.
“Going into this week I was extremely rusty. I really can’t believe how well I played. I’ve had good people helping me,” Howell III said. “I’m a little bit shocked I was here because I started hitting balls maybe eight days ago, eight, nine days ago. I was able to putt but I couldn’t hit balls.”
Stanley and Howell both earned exemptions into this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Sung Kang and Martin Laird also earned spots after finishing in ties for third and fifth respectively. It will be Stanley’s first appearance in a major championship since 2013.
“I feel like my game is in really good shape. The body of work this season, there haven’t been too many weak spots. Everything has been pretty consistent. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a major. I think British Open’s are kind of fun because you have to get creative and play a non-technical style of golf, which I think I play,” Stanley said.
Rickie Fowler made six birdies in a seven hole stretch on Sunday to get into contention, but a double bogey at number 14 cost him a chance at the trophy. He finished in a tie for third after shooting a 65.
“It was a good day. A lot of offense. A couple bad swings cost me a few shots, but a good weekend overall shooting two under yesterday when the course was still firm,” Fowler said. “Nice to sneak up there and get a good round today. Solid, good finish after not being in great position after the first two days.”
Lingmerth had a one-shot lead over Daniel Summerhays after Saturday’s third round, but couldn’t get anything going on Sunday. Lingmerth began with a bogey at the opening hole, then made a double bogey at the difficult par 4 11th. He finished in a tie for 5th at 4-under par.
Summerhays had the lead by himself after a birdie at the par 5 second, but a pair of double bogeys at the 4th and 11th holes ended his chances of earning his first PGA Tour win.
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