Johnson Wagner rallies for Sony win

Associated Press

HONOLULU

Johnson Wagner worked so hard in the offseason that he told friends he was going to win early in the year, and he hardly wasted any time.

Wagner played bogey-free over the last 12 holes, a winning recipe on a tough day at Waialae, and closed with a 3-under 67 to pull away from a half-dozen contenders and win the Sony Open on Sunday.

The third win of his career earned him an invitation to the Masters.

Wagner was among six players who had a share of the lead at some point in the final round. He was the only guy to stay there, and wound up with a two-shot win over Carl Pettersson, Sean O’Hair, Harrison Frazar and Charles Howell III.

Coming into the year, Wagner only had seven top 10s in 139 starts on tour, including two wins. He opened the year at Kapalua with a tie for ninth, and then rallied from a two-shot deficit to win the Sony Open.

Frazar had the best chance. He had the outright lead briefly after a birdie at No. 10, then made pars the rest of the way for a 67. Pettersson overcame a double bogey on the second hole and finished with four birdies on the last six holes, also for a 67.

“My first top 10 as an American,” said Pettersson, the Swede who became an American citizen in the offseason.

O’Hair had a 30-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole that burned the edge. He had to settle for a 67, while Howell birdied his last hole for 69 to join the group tied for second.

Jeff Maggert and Matt Every, tied for the lead going into the last day, both collapsed early. Every was 4 over through six holes and rallied for a 72. Maggert missed a slew of short putts and shot 74.

Every made bogey from the bunker on the first hole, drove into the water at No. 2, three-putted for bogey at No. 4 and three-putted again from 4 feet on the sixth hole for a double bogey.

Maggert was scrambling from the start, too, and it caught up with him.

They were still in the hunt at the turn — and so was everyone else. Wagner was the only player who kept it going. He seized control for good on the 15th when his approach settled just on the fringe about 15 feet away for birdie and a two-shot lead.