Stanley surges to Phoenix Open victory

Kyle Stanley bounced back from a bitter defeat to win the Phoenix Open on Sunday, erasing an eight-shot deficit to triumph a week after his last-round collapse at Torrey Pines. "I'm not sure what I'm thinking right now," Stanley said. "I just needed to focus on playing golf. I needed to put last week behind me." Stanley was brought to tears at Torrey after a triple-bogey at the final hole dropped him into a playoff that he lost. On Sunday, however, he was in position to strike as Spencer Levin suffered a similar collapse -- surrendering a six-shot overnight lead. Stanley capped a bogey-free 65 with a four-foot par putt and finished with a 15-under total of 269. Ben Crane carded a 66 and finished in second on 270. Levin, who started the round with a six-stroke lead, was seven in front after one hole but finished with a four-over 75 that included a double-bogey seven at the par-five 15th. He settled for third on 271 as Stanley savored a first US PGA Tour victory. "I just didn't have it," said Levin, who had led by five shots after the second round. "Maybe I was looking ahead too much and trying too hard. What are you going to do? I tried my best." The tide was turning when Stanley two-putted for birdie at 13. That pulled him level with Levin, who made back-to-back bogeys at 11 and 12. Stanley, 24, birdied 14 to take a one-shot lead. Levin pulled level again with a birdie at 14, before his disaster at 15. "I really feel for him," Stanley said. "You don't want to wish that on anyone. He's a very good player... I feel bad for him." The last player to lose in a playoff and rebound with a win the following week was David Toms, who fell to South Korea's K.J. Choi in playoff at the Players Championship last year and won the Colonial a week later. "I just want to thank my mom and dad," said Stanley, who teared up this time with happiness. "They've done a lot for me. I'm speechless." Last week Stanley led by seven shots early in the final round. Although that lead dwindled, he still led by three when he teed off on the par-five 18th. However, his third shot into the green spun into the water and he ended up in a playoff that he lost to a surprised Brandt Snedeker. While Stanley was delighted with his victory, he admitted that it couldn't erase the memory of what happened at Torrey Pines. "I'm never going to forget that," he said.