Stanley refuses to be down over painful loss

Kyle Stanley didn’t contemplate pulling out of this week’s Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale even after his agonising loss at San Diego last week.

The big-hitting American led by three shots playing the last at Torrey Pines before a triple-bogey 8 saw him come unstuck. He was beaten in a playoff by Brandt Snedeker but decided to stick to his original plan and play this week.

“I was going to play here this week whether I won or not,” he said while preparing for last night’s opening round. “I’m playing well, so nothing has changed. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Snedeker, who clinched his third PGA Tour victory, accepted that his triumph was largely overshadowed by Stanley’s misfortune. He said: “Everybody feels for Kyle, and I think it’s probably more the story this week than me winning. So it’s been kind of a weird thing to deal with.

“But that’s the great thing about the PGA Tour. It’s a new golf tournament, a new course, and I’ve got to get my mind ready to play.”

Snedeker is making his sixth start in Phoenix at a venue he enjoys “I love this course,” said the 31-year-old from Nashville. “I had the lead here a couple years ago, then had a bad Sunday, and I’ve had a couple of top 10s but I feel like this course sets up really well for my game.”

American world No 6 Webb Simpson and ninth-ranked Dustin Johnson head the field where twice champion Phil Mickelson will also try to reignite his 2012 campaign after missing the cut last week. “I don’t know what happened,” Mickelson said. “I’m going to put it down as something I’m going to shrug off, because I know that my practice sessions have been really good.”