Steve Stricker made a stunning late recovery to snatch the John Deere Classic title from Kyle Stanley on Sunday.
Stricker looked to have thrown away a third successive title at this tournament when he made back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th, but he responded in spectacular fashion to finish 22-under, one ahead of fellow American Stanley.
He said afterwards: “Unbelievable week and an unbelievable finish. I can't really believe that it happened yet, to tell you the truth.
“(It has been) kind of a rollercoaster day today. It was a struggle pretty much the whole day and I was just trying to hang in there, trying to make some of my birdies on that back nine and I just found it to be a little bit of a struggle coming in.
“I feel very fortunate and very lucky to have won. I really do.”
Stricker began the final round with a two-shot advantage at the top of the leaderboard, and he surged five clear by cancelling out a disappointing double-bogey at the par-four fifth with four birdies over the front nine.
Stanley, who made two birdies and a bogey over his opening nine holes, hauled himself back into contention with a birdie at the par-five 10th before going on a run of four straight birdies between the par-three 12th and par-four 15th.
At this point Stricker appeared to throw away the title when he bogeyed two holes, leaving his ball almost burdied in the bunker at the 16th, and fell two shots behind Stanley. However, he hauled himself within one shot with a birdie at the 17th and, after Stanley bogeyed his final hole, Stricker then secured his 11th title on the PGA Tour title with a 25-foot putt for birdie at the 18th.
