Potter outplays No. 1 Johnson
Golfer earns first win since broken ankle halted career
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF. — Ted Potter Jr. outplayed the world’s No. 1 player and held off everyone else Sunday to win the AT&TPebble Beach National Pro-Amforhis first victory since a broken ankle nearly ended his career.
Potter holed a chip from behind the green for birdie on the par-3 seventh hole to build a two-shot lead over Dustin Johnson, and no one got any closer the rest of the way. He finished with11straight pars for a 3-under 69 and a three-shot victory over Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jason Day and Chez Reavie.
Potter was unflappable playing alongside Johnson, who next week completes one full year at No. 1 in the world. That changed when he tapped in for par on the 18th hole.
He stepped off a curb in Canada in August Ted Potter Jr. is greeted by his caddie, Sean Kell, on the 18th green in Pebble Beach, Calif. Potter was out of golf for two years after breaking his ankle stepping off a curb in 2014. 2014 and broke his ankle, keeping him out of golf for two years and then back to the minor leagues a year ago. Potter’s only other victory was at The Greenbrier Classic in 2012. He has missed the cut in 55 percent of his PGA Tour events in his career.
And then he didn’t flinch next to Johnson, with Mickelson making a late charge and Day never too far behind.
“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “You break your ankle and you don’t know what’s going to happen with your swing, with your career. It’s unbelievable right now. This has been a blast this week.”
Potter, whocame into the week at No. 246 in the world, earns a trip back to the Masters for the first time in five years. He finished at 17-under 270 and earned $1,332,000, nearly half of his career earnings before Sunday.