Golf has the tendency to throw up some weird and wonderful surprises and, along with Thomas Detry's dominant victory at the WM Phoenix Open, it was Will Chandler who was also grabbing the headlines.
Having Monday-qualified to get into the WM Phoenix Open, something that is being scrapped next season, the American carded rounds of 68, 67, 68 and 66 to finish in a share of sixth, with his final round six shots better than his playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, who could only managed a one-over-par 72.
Early on in the day, it seemed that Scheffler was set to make one of his famous late runs to the title, with the American four-under through six holes. However, a short missed putt on the ninth seemed to be the catalyst for a very out of character back nine.
Bogeying the 12th and 13th, Scheffler then bogeyed the 16th before a double bogey six on the final hole meant a back nine of 41 and a share of 25th place on the leaderboard.
Chandler, on the other hand, remained consistent throughout the day and, after a one-under front nine, finished with four birdies in his final seven holes for a 15-under tournament total, which was good enough for a top 10.
"It feels good for sure," stated Chandler following his round. "I'm not thinking about much. I treat it like any other tournament. I'm leaving a little happier than I did my first two events, but at the end of the day, it's golf. I'm definitely, definitely pleased with the week, but I'm excited to get back to work and get home. I have a lot I can improve on for sure...
"I mean, he's (Scheffler) an amazing golfer. He's a great person, too. Him and Cam, they're awesome. I didn't know either of them, but they couldn't have been nicer... They were great. They're obviously amazing players."
Securing a top 10 now means Chandler has qualified for the Mexico Open in two weeks time. However, along with the positives, there's also the small matter of there being no Monday qualifiers for the WM Phoenix Open going into the future, something that has been a part of the calendar since 1948.
The reason for the decision is because the PGA Tour are looking to reduce field sizes and ensure more playing opportunities for its members. One other reason is down to the factor of slow play and the need to ensure rounds can finish in daylight.
