SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rickie Fowler broke down in tears in the media center after his playoff loss Sunday in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, overcome by emotion talking about his family.
"The hard part is having all my friends and family and grandpa and my dad who haven't seen me win," Fowler said. "But I will be able to kind of hang with them tonight. I'll be all right."
He hit two balls into the water on the par-4 17th hole -- the first in regulation and the second on the fourth and final extra hole -- to give Hideki Matsuyama an unexpected victory.
"This one hurts," Fowler said.
He blew a two-shot lead on the 317-yard 17th in regulation when he blasted a driver through the green and into the water, with the ball traveling nearly 360 yards.
"I'm hitting a chip-cut driver," Fowler said. "Usually, don't expect it to hit on the downslope and then go 360."
Using a 3-wood on the hole in the playoff, he pulled his drive into the lake just short of the green.
"Hit it solid," Fowler said. "Just hit it a little high on the face and it just got up and left a little quicker than I was expecting and wanted."
Matsuyama birdied the hole in regulation to tie for the lead, chipping to 2 1/2 feet. In the playoff, he chipped to 6 feet and two-putted for the victory after Fowler missed his 10-foot par putt.
"Surprised and sad that Rickie finished that way, but all I can do is my best," Matsuyama said through a translator. "I was lucky to come out on top."
Fowler forced the playoff with a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th after Matsuyama made an 18-footer. They each shot 4-under 67 to finish at 14-under 270 at TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course.
"The putt I made there was probably the best putt I have ever made in my life," Matsuyama said.
The playoff was just as dramatic.
On the par-4 10th on the third extra hole, Fowler saved par with a 12-foot putt after driving into the left rough and skulling his approach long and right. Matsuyama made a 5-footer to extend the playoff.
They played the 18th hole twice to open overtime. On the first extra hole, Fowler chipped to a foot to set up a par after leaving his wedge approach short and right. Matsuyama rolled his 25-foot putt inside a foot. On the second playoff hole, Matsuyama matched Fowler's 15-foot birdie putt to extend it.
"Maybe from the outside it looked calm, but then I was nervous inside," Matsuyama said.
Matsuyama, 23, won the 2014 Memorial for his only other PGA Tour title, beating Kevin Na on the first extra hole. Maysuyama tied for second last year in Scottsdale, a stroke behind Brooks Koepka.
Fowler missed a chance for his fifth worldwide victory in nine months. He started the run in May at The Players Championship, and won the Scottish Open the week before the British Open, the Deutsche Bank Championship in September and the European Tour event two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi.
"With how good I'm playing, I know I can win," Fowler said. "That's the hard part."
Fowler chipped in from 50 feet for birdie on the par-4 10th to take the lead and added birdies on the par-5 13th and 15th holes to pull two shots ahead. He missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, the tournament's signature stadium hole, before giving Matsuyama a chance with the long tee shot on 17.
"It didn't look very good," Matsuyama said. "Then Rickie opened the door for me, and I was able to walk through it."
Harris English shot a 66 to tie for third at 12 under.
Bryce Molder (Conway) was in a five-way tie for the lead early in the round after birdies on Nos. 1 and 3. He eventually finished with an even-par 71 and finished in a five-way tie for sixth and earned $203,450.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Toeldo wins in three extras
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Esteban Toledo parred the third playoff hole Sunday to win the Allianz Championship over Billy Andrade on a cold, windy day at Broken Sound Club.
Toledo made a 4-foot par putt after Andrade's 6-foot par try lipped out on the par-4 17th hole. Three of Toledo's four PGA Tour Champions titles have come in playoffs. Toledo (67) and Andrade (68) finished at 11-under 205.
Andrade had a chance to win in regulation but missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. It looked like he was going to lose on the first playoff hole when his second shot landed in the palmetto bushes, but he saved par.
WEB.COM
Munoz wins on home turf
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Sebastian Munoz won his hometown Club Colombia Championship on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour victory, two-putting for birdie from 45 feet on the par-5 18th for a one-stroke victory.
Playing on a sponsor exemption, Munoz, 23, became the first Colombian winner in the history of the tour.
The former North Texas player finished off a 5-under 66 in the morning in the completion of the suspended third round and shot a 71 in the afternoon at Bogota Country Club. He finished at 12-under 272 and earned $126,000.
Matt Atkins (Henderson State) and Richy Werenski each shot 68 to tie for second. Taylor Pendrith (69) and Trey Mullinax (70) followed at 10 under.
Zack Fischer (Little Rock) finished at 6 under and in a tie for 17th place to earn $9,473.
Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) was tied for 51st and won $1,978. He was followed by Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Razorbacks) who won $1,882 for his tie for 53rd.
Sports on 02/08/2016