One of Fabian Gomez’s best memories on the PGA Tour occurred last year at Waialae Country Club.
It was here, far from his native land of Argentina, that the 38-year-old put together the stellar final round of golf needed to eventually win the Sony Open in Hawaii in a two-hole playoff over popular American Brandt Snedeker.
He birdied seven consecutive holes en route to an 8-under 62 to secure his second PGA Tour victory since joining in 2011. Gomez has played in 109 events, including four in the current 2016-17 wraparound season, and has managed eight top-10s and pocketed a shade more than $5 million in career earnings.
But nothing has quite matched that birdie run that first built him a two-shot lead early in the back nine that he would lose with back-to-back bogeys, only to birdie the closing two holes to force a playoff.
“You know, the memory that I have, I know that I have to play well during the last round, because I have a difference between me and the leader,” Gomez recalled of last year’s win in a Tuesday press conference.
“I have a great memory about the seven birdies in a row I made, and obviously the last putt that I made on 18 to make the playoff. It is really nice to be here again with my family. I knew (I had) to make a birdie (at 18) because Snedeker was playing well, also. And it was a really nice round, yeah.”
The rest of the year was spent trying to duplicate that Sunday afternoon at Waialae, something he failed to do. Not from lack of trying, however, as he added folks to his entourage and worked on different aspects of his game, particularly the mental side.
That victory allowed him to set his schedule for the next two-plus years on tour, the kind of safety net all the golfers out here seek at one time or another in their careers. But sometimes when you win, you lose the edge needed to keep winning. And that’s the part of his game Gomez tried to address off his own personal tee.
“I haven’t been in that situation after winning,” Gomez said. “It’s like I start to be a little relaxed, and it’s a part of my game. I’m working with a sports psychologist. Because a few tournaments after Memphis (his first win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic), a few tournaments after the Sony. I didn’t play the level that I played when I (won).”
Lack of concentration was another area of concern.
“Because obviously the week that you win, you know, it’s like your focus is so high that after that you relax a little. It’s something that I’m working on because it’s something that I don’t really like.”
He and his family made a big decision to leave home behind and move to Miami, closer to where his coach, Jim McLean, lives. He moved there in late December and calls Doral his home course.
If he’s feeling any pressure of defending his title against a particularly strong and deep field, he isn’t showing it. He tees it up today as part of a 144-man contingent looking to hoist that trophy come Sunday at this $6 million tournament.
“Doesn’t matter, the defending champion,” Gomez said. “It’s no reason to have any extra pressure because Justin (Thomas, last week’s winner at the SBS Tournament of Champions) or Jordan (Spieth) is playing. I’ve been in that situation many weeks, yeah. And normally have that kind of player with you, gives you extra concentration. It’s nice for me if I have the chance to be at the top of the leaderboard with that kind of player fighting for the title.”
