Jun 14, 2015
Gomez cruises to 4-shot win in Memphis
The Sports Network
Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Fabian Gomez closed with a 4-under 66 Sunday and rolled to a 4-stroke win at the St. Jude Classic.
Gomez ended his first PGA Tour title at 13-under-par 267.
"I'm so happy to win and I know that being from Argentina that Angel (Cabrera) and Roberto (De Vicenzo) will be really happy about it," Gomez said through a translator.
Greg Owen, who shared the third-round lead with Gomez, managed an even-par 70 at TPC Southwind to take second place at minus-9.
Phil Mickelson, the 2013 runner-up, fired a 5-under 65 to soar into a share of third place. He was joined at 8-under-par 272 by Seung-Yul Noh (65), Michael Thompson (66), Matt Jones (68) and Brooks Koepka (70).
Reigning FedExCup champion Billy Horschel also closed with a 65 to grab piece of eighth place. He ended alongside Boo Weekley (65), Russell Knox (66) and Chad Campbell (68) at minus-7.
Owen and Gomez matched pars on the first two holes. After Gomez converted an 8-footer for birdie at three, Owen rolled in a 5-foot birdie try.
Gomez came up short at the fifth and played his third to 12 feet. He 2-putted for bogey from there to slide one back. Owens drained a 5-foot birdie effort at seven to move two ahead, but Gomez responded with a birdie at eight.
Owen hit a poor tee shot at the ninth and that led to a bogey, which dropped him back to minus-10 and into a tie with Gomez.
Gomez took the lead for good with a 7-foot birdie putt at the 11th. Owen dropped his tee shot in the water at the par-4 12th and that led to a bogey, which left him two behind.
Owen missed the green at the par-3 14th and that led to another dropped shot, but he came right back with a 14-foot birdie putt at 15 to get back within two.
Gomez answered at the par-5 16th as he blasted from a greenside bunker to within two feet of the hole. He tapped that in for birdie a 3-stroke lead. Gomez closed the tournament in style as he poured in a 30-footer for birdie at the last.
"Today, I tried to play the same way I played the first three days. If I got nervous, I thought about something else and that helped keep my mind blank," Gomez stated.
NOTES: Gomez is the ninth player to make this event his maiden PGA Tour victory ... Gomez, who made $1.08 million for the win, became the fifth Argentine to win on the PGA Tour ... Despite the victory, Gomez will not be eligible for next week's U.S. Open as he started this week at No. 288 in the world and he won't climb inside the top 60 to qualify ... Noh and Weekley had the only two bogey-free rounds on Sunday ... The PGA Tour heads to Washington next week for the season's second major, the U.S. Open Championship, where Martin Kaymer will defend his title at Chambers Bay.