Brendan Steele Scores at Torrey Pines

In his final post from Torrey Pines, Jack Clark shares Brendan's thoughts on his first PGA Tour paycheck and playing with Tiger Woods.

After 54 holes in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, both Brendan Steele and Tiger Woods were 4 under par and in a fifteen-way tie for 24^th place. They squared off in Sunday’s final round in the same threesome, and 18 holes later Steele was five shots ahead.

Woods shot a three-over-par 75 and finished one under par in a tie for 44^th place 15 shots behind the tournament winner, while Steele fired a two-under-par 70 and finished the tournament six under par in a tie for 17^th place 10 strokes behind the winner. Steele’s performance earned him his first PGA Tour paycheck — $87,000 — in his third appearance.

Steele said that he had never played before a crowd as huge as the one that followed his group on Sunday, and he readily admitted that he had a case of nerves on the first tee after shaking hands with Tiger. He was the first to tee off on the par-4 1^st hole.

The day before he had driven the ball 340 yards in the fairway, but Sunday he mis-hit his drive short and into the fairway bunker on the right side. However, he made a fine sand shot to the green to par the hole and played bogie-free the entire round while collecting pars on the par-3 11^th and 16^th holes.

Steele said that at first he just tried to say out of Woods’ way, not wanting to make a mistake that would interfere with the veteran player’s game, but Woods seemed willing to converse. Many times Sunday, Woods and Steele were seen engaged in conversation as they walked down fairways. “We talked a lot,” Steele said, strongly emphasizing the word lot. “He didn’t have to do that, but he did, and I really appreciate it. Tiger had a lot to do with making me feel comfortable out there.”

A reporter asked Steele how it felt to “beat Tiger.” Steele winced and said that it was not a matter of “beating” him, that he could not affect another player’s game, he could only control his own. He said that he knew that Woods did not have his best game yet, but that he was closing in on it his preparation for the Masters in April. “If Tiger had his best game and shot a 64, and I shot 66, I’d feel very good about that,” Steele said with a genuine smile.

During the post-tournament interview, Steele was clearly upbeat. He related that he had not played well at his first tournament two weeks earlier in Hawaii. He said he played fairly well last week in La Quinta, but that his mental attitude was not the best. He felt that he had both going for him this week at Torrey Pines, and with a much better result.

Next week Steele competes in the $6,100,000 Waste Management Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale course in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Torrey Pines teaches tyro PGA Steele tough third round

After Saturday’s round, Brendan Steele stated that he had “never played in front of crowds like that. It was a totally new experience.” But he enjoyed “the energy” of it, he said, acknowledging that he really loved it out there. Well, if he thinks he had a big crowd with him on Saturday, wait until tomorrow.

Last week, Steele said he hope to play with Tiger Woods to experience “the spectacle that is Tiger”. Only a week later, he will do that only three tournaments into his rookie season on the PGA tour.

Steele entered the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines tied with Tiger Woods at 6 under par for 36 holes. Today, Saturday, Steele experienced a grind of a day. He posted three birdies against five bogies, so he shot a two-over-par 74. And so did Woods.

The result is that both Steele and Woods are 4 under par and in a fifteen-way tie for 24^th place in the tournament after 54 holes. And Steele and Woods are playing together in the same threesome Sunday. During Saturday’s round, Woods continued to draw crowds that exceeded those of all other players, despite his mediocre (for him) performance.

On Saturday, Steele overcame two strokes in penalties for unplayable lies. He said he was frustrated that it seemed he was in between clubs all day — meaning he could not reach the green with a shorter iron, but was risking going over the green with the next longer club.

Birdies were few and putts for pars and bogies were several. But he persevered and birdied the 16^th hole with an 18 foot putt. Then scrambled by sinking a 12 footer on the 18^th green to make a tough par, which “made me feel good going into tomorrow,” he said.

On Sunday, Steele goes off the no. 1 tee at Torrey Pines South at 8:25 a.m. He is paired with Greg Chalmers and Tiger Woods.

Brendan Steele Makes First Cut on PGA Tour

Brendan Steele fired a fine 4-under-par 68 today, Friday, at the Torrey Pines North Course in La Jolla to tie for 12^th place with Tiger Woods and three others midway through the Farmers Insurance Open. He opened with a blazing 31 on his first nine, but a bogie and double bogie made him settle for a 37 on his second.

Most of Steele’s birdies came in a flock, six of them within seven holes beginning with the 13^th hole and extending through the 18^th and into hole no. 1 to start the front nine, which Steele played second.

On the 172-yard par-3 17^th hole, one of Steele’s playing partners, Michael Thompson, launched a high shot that hit the green and spun back to within one foot of the pin. Not to be outdone, Steele immediately reproduced that shot, landing within a few inches of where Thompson’s ball had hit, and spinning his ball back to come to rest only one inch from Thompson’s.

Steele gave back three shots with a bogie and double bogie on the 6^th and 7^th holes, respectively, but finished strongly with a birdie on the par-5 9^th hole to finish his round.

With rounds of 70 and 68 totaling 138, Steele easily made the cut in only his third PGA Tour tournament, and with five strokes to spare. To show how much his game has improved in recent times, three years ago in his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour he needed six tournaments to accomplish that feat.

When asked by the Town Crier if he felt that his white-hot 31 on his first nine had enhanced his confidence that he belonged on the big tour, Steele responded, yes, and iterated that he felt his game was good enough to win since he was making enough birdies to win—but he needed to reduce the bogies that hurt his scoring. He said he was working on eliminating the mistakes that resulted in bogies.

Saturday is “Moving Day” in a four-day tournament like the Farmer’s Insurance Open, with each player jockeying for position going into Sunday’s final round. Steele tees off tomorrow morning, Saturday, at 9:00 on the 1st hole of the Torrey Pines South Course. He is paired with PGA Tour veterans Billy Mayfair and Tag Ridings.

Brendan Steele — Mixed Opening Round at Torrey Pines

From our reliable and intrepid Golf Correspodent Jack Clark

Brendan Steele’s first round in the Farmers Insurance Open today, Thursday, at the Torrey Pines South Course in La Jolla had several phases.

He parred each of the first five holes, then birdied the par-5 6^th, bogied the 7th, and strung four birdies in a row on the 8^th, 9^th, 10^th and 11^th holes. This brought him to 4 under par and temporarily put him into a tie for 6^th place.

But then, after a par four at the long 12^th hole and narrowly missing a short birdie putt at the par-5 13^th, bogies set in—three in a row at the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th. After parring the 17^th, he birdied the 18^th to finish and post a 2-under-par 70, putting him in a tie for 35^th place going into tomorrow’s second round.

Throughout his round, Steele maintained the calm and cool demeanor of a PGA Tour veteran, He displayed none of the nervousness that one might expect to see early in his rookie season. Although he did have five birdies on the day, he had birdie putts on several more holes that just did not drop, an encouraging sign.

Steele tees off tomorrow morning, Friday, at 10:20 on the 10^th hole of the Torrey Pines North Course.

What Jack didn't mention was after the 13th hole, Steele was four under par. At that point, Tiger Woods had finished 16 holes and was three under par. So for a moment, Idyllwild's Brendan Steel was ahead of Tiger Woods!!