Kevin Stadler can attempt to follow in his father’s Masters footsteps after finally claiming his first US PGA tour title in his 239th start.
Stadler, the 33-year-old son of 1982 Masters champion Craig “Walrus” Stadler, earned a start at Augusta National when he beat Bubba Watson and Graham DeLaet by one stroke to triumph in the Phoenix Open.
He fired a final round three-under-par 68 to finish at 16-under and claimed the trophy when playing partner Watson (71) missed a five footer for par on the last hole that would have forced a playoff.
Stadler just missed his birdie putt and tapped in for par.
“Obviously I would have liked to make that putt there and won it that way, but it’s been a long time coming and I’ll take it any way I can get it,” said Stadler, whose previous biggest win was at the European Tour’s 2006 Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia.
Earlier Canada’s DeLaet had seven birdies and one bogey in a 65 for his share of second.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (69) and American Hunter Mahan (68) shared fourth on 270.
Tied for the halfway lead after opening with consecutive 65s, Matt Jones faded to a tie for 12th after a closing 73 left him seven shots behind Stadler while countryman Greg Chalmers (73) was a shot further back.
Raised in Colorado, Stadler played in Denver Broncos colours on NFL Super Bowl day, wearing an orange shirt and blue pants and hat.
Stadler had five birdies to offset a double-bogey six at the par-four 11th.
“It wasn’t pretty,” said Stadler. “I hit a lot of good shots and a lot of ugly shots, but it all worked out.”
The Stadlers are the ninth father-son duo to win on the PGA Tour.
Watson went into the final round with a two-stroke lead, but Stadler erased that advantage with birdies from 10 and 26 feet at the first and second holes.
Watson and Stadler both birdied the third to stay tied, Watson edging back in front with a birdie at the par-three fourth where he landed his tee shot five feet from the pin.
Stadler jumped ahead at the ninth, dropping a four-foot birdie putt as Watson failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker for a bogey.
After an errant drive at 11 Stadler had to take an unplayable lie en route to his double-bogey that again saw him fall behind Watson.
Watson’s bogey at 16 put them level again, and after both birdied 17 they went to the final hole tied.
