Kaye starting to gain momentum
Jonathan Kaye earned a sense of validation to go along with his big fat check and shiny FBR Open trophy on Sunday. Two former champs, meanwhile, walked away with a much emptier feeling.
Kaye emerged from a three-horse race in Sunday's final round, remaining steady when the thoroughbreds around him stumbled over the final furlong.
The FBR Open turned into a final-group shootout on the back nine, with Kaye, Phil Mickelson (1996 FBR winner) and Chris DiMarco (2002 champ) trading birdies atop the leaderboard. All were tied at 15-under after the 12th hole, and all birdied the par-5 13th to drop to 16-under and draw some eyeballs away from the drawn-out Super Bowl pregame show.
Mickelson dropped out of the race at the 14th, losing two strokes when he bogeyed and Kaye and DiMarco made birdies. For Mickelson -- who had a chance to reach the two-win plateau before Tiger Woods had a chance to play his second event of 2004 -- it was the first of four bogeys over the final five holes.
| Around the tours ... |
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 FBR Open Site: Scottsdale, Ariz. Course: TPC of Scottsdale (7,216 yards, par 72) Top finishers: 1 Jonathan Kaye (-18) 2 Chris DiMarco T3 Steve Flesch T3 Vijay Singh T5 Mike Weir T5 Duffy Waldorf T7 Scott Verplank T7 Phil Mickelson T9 Justin Leonard T9 Kevin Sutherland T9 Retief Goosen T9 Sergio Garcia T9 Fredrik Jacobson
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DiMarco stuck around for another hole, matching Kaye's birdie at the par-5 15th. But he, too, fell off the pace with bogeys on 16 and 17, allowing Kaye -- who parred both holes -- to take a two-stroke lead to 18.
Combined, Mickelson and DiMarco played the last four holes at 5-over Sunday, while Kaye was 1-under for the same stretch. It all added up to the second career victory for a player who not too long ago was fighting just to keep his card.
A promising rookie in 1995, Kaye struggled for a few seasons after rotator cuff surgery in 1996. Before last year, he was more known for a 2001 suspension (which stemmed from a confrontation with a security guard) than for his golf.
That all changed at the 2003 Buick Classic, which Kaye made his first career victory with an eagle on the first playoff hole. It was the highlight of a breakout season that included seven other top-10 finishes and a 16th-place showing on the money list. Before the Buick victory, he had played 193 tournaments without a title despite five runner-up finishes.
It took the 33-year-old Kaye just 13 events to hoist his second trophy, validating a career that's quickly gaining momentum. He has three finishes in the top 12 in four events this year and leads the money list for the first time. The victory (which was worth $968,000) also jumped him to career-best 14th in the World Ranking, and seventh in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings (ahead of fellow up-and-comer Chad Campbell). Not too shabby for a guy who just a few years ago looked like a bust.
"Everybody out here is trying to win, and I was fortunate enough to get some of the bounces this week that made a difference," Kaye said Sunday after his victory. "I'm just ecstatic to be on top."
Barnes, the 22-year-old former U.S. Amateur champ and University of Arizona stud, made headlines with a 21st-place finish at last year's Masters, but after turning pro late in the season (he missed six cuts in six events late last year) he failed to reach the finals of Q-school, which means he has no status on the PGA Tour in 2004.
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| Barnes |
In order to gain a special temporary membership, Barnes can accept up to seven sponsor's exemptions to try to earn $348,976, which is what the 150th-place finisher on last year's money list made. Should he accomplish that, he'll be allowed to accept as many exemptions as he wants for the rest of the year.
While Barnes' $78,116 FBR Open check is certainly a good start, he could have earned about $50,000 more and a bonus event had he shaved just one stroke off his score. Tied for ninth place on the last hole of the tournament, Barnes hit his tee shot in the water and made bogey, dropping him to 14th. Why is that significant? If he would have made par and finished in the top 10, he would have earned a spot in next week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am -- without using up one of his six remaining sponsor's exemptions.
"I think it's just another stepping stone because I am still young, but it's definitely another low point in my career," Barnes said.
Instead of playing at Pebble Beach this week, Barnes hopped a plane to head to Australia, where he'll play in the European Tour's Heineken Classic.
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| Singh |
It appeared Singh's streak could come to an end after the second round, when he was five strokes out of the top 10 and barely made the cut. But a third-round 63 -- the same score he shot to win the event in last year's final round -- vaulted him into contention, and a final-round 66 left him tied for third.
The streak dates back to the NEC Invitational last summer and includes two victories, three runner-up finishes and just three rounds (out of a combined 44) over par.
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| Palmer |
The 74-year-old Palmer, playing in his 50th season of professional golf, failed to win a single skin the last two years but was a 7-foot putt away from winning the whole thing on the final hole of regulation. He missed the putt, and Watson later won the final five skins on the second playoff hole.
Palmer, who plays a very limited schedule these days and doesn't have a top-10 finish in the Champions Tour since 1992, made six birdies and ended up finishing second with five skins and $140,000.
"Arnold was the star of the two days," Watson said. "He made everyone dream of Arnold's charges again. I think we're all part of Arnie's Army. He can still do it."
Nicklaus was third with three skins and $60,000; defending champion Lee Trevino was shut out.
David Lefort is ESPN.com's golf editor, and he can be reached at david.m.lefort@espn3.com. Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.
