On Sunday, Kyle Stanley blew a 3-stroke lead with one hole to play at the Farmers Insurance Open, then lost the playoff to Brandt Snedeker. Stanley's chance at redemption begins this week; he, as well as Snedeker, is in the field in Phoenix.
Stanley should talk to Robert Garrigus about final-hole meltdowns and how to forget about them. At the 2010 St. Jude Classic, Garrigus also blew a 3-stroke lead at the last hole when trying to notch his first PGA Tour win, then lost in a playoff. But just a few months later, Garrigus got that first win, and he's played well since. A loss such as Stanley endured last week can cripple a golfer's confidence, but as Garrigus has shown, it doesn't have to.
Also in the field in Phoenix are Phil Mickelson, trying to rebound from a missed cut in San Diego last week; the defending champ, Mark Wilson; plus Keegan Bradley, Fred Couples, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas, Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson.
The Qatar Masters has another strong field, although it doesn't include Robert Rock. Rock, the winner of the Abu Dhabi Championship last week, isn't playing. But Qatar's defending champ, Thomas Bjorn, is.
The field also includes Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Jason Day, Graeme McDowell, K.J. Choi, Hunter Mahan, Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Retief Goosen and Matteo Manassero.
Check our tournament pages for more info, including the lists of past champions, from each event: Course photos:
TPC Scottsdale - Stadium Course
Doha Golf Club
This Week: Phoenix Open and Qatar Masters originally appeared on About.com Golf on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 09:49:03.
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