Snedeker winds up a victor at Torrey Pines

Snedeker said the weather made it “like playing a British Open on a U.S. Open setup”.

He delivered a major performance.

The final round play was interrupted by three weather delays until officials chose to suspend it and set up a Monday finish. Of the 23 players who finished the round, 11 of them shot in the 80s and their average score was 78.9.

He posted a 6-under 282.

Jimmy Walker had a one-shot lead over Snedeker and K.J. Choi when the final round resumed among a dozen toppled trees on the South Course.

Go back to Friday, when Snedeker was coming up the par-5 ninth on the North Course and swing coach Butch Harmon was watching from outside the ropes, hopeful his man would make birdie to remove any doubt about making the cut. “This course is so tough, it’s blowing 25 miles an hour, gusting out there and windy and rainy conditions”. I probably would’ve hit a 100 if I didn’t persevere.

If you want to get an idea of how vicious the weather conditions were, look no further than the 5-iron Billy Horschel hit just 134 yards with his hat on backwards.

The next best score to Snedeker was Shane Lowry’s 73.

On Sunday, the approach into the 15th hole was a wedge for most players.

“The way the wind blew and made those last five holes play so tough on those guys, I feel bad for them”, Snedeker said. “Sometimes you get the raw end and sometimes you get the better end, and I obviously got the better end this week”.

“He was unlucky not catch the slope there and I think on a drier, rolled green that would’ve ended up being several feet closer”.

Snedeker’s final-round 69 was truly a phenomenal achievement.

The victory is Snedeker’s 8th of his career, and 2nd on the Torrey Pines course.

This time, he needed help from the elements.

“I drove the ball unbelievable on that back nine”, Snedeker said.

The 35-year-old, who finished as the runner-up at the Sony Open after losing to Fabian Gomez in a playoff, had a front nine to forget as it consisted of a lone bogey at the first, which came about when he missed a 14-foot par putt. When he made the turn, he was off to the races. The 69 he shot held up when all of the other players near the top of the board completed their rounds Monday.

“It says I don’t give up. I would have said you’re insane, there’s no way, but you just never know”.

Walker’s five bogeys after Snedeker went into the clubhouse at six under were ultimately his downfall, though it’s hard to blame him too much for struggling through the conditions on Sunday and Monday. Fog was the culprit in 2013 when Tiger Woods won by four shots.