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Vargas Back On Top
(Holmby Park, Saturday) – Walter Vargas needed only 2 years to reclaim ownership of a tournament he has dominated, winning the Survivor Challenge for a 5th time. The victory was his 4th in 5 years, making last year’s shocking exit – thanks to a divot – his only blemish in the last 5 editions. The win ties the Tour record (Armen Grigorian, Match Play Invitational) for most victories in any one tournament. But for Vargas, mired in a 21-month, 14-tournament winless streak, the achievement was secondary. “That feels great [but] just winning a tournament, I don’t care which one it was, what a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
Some on Tour contend the Survivor Challenge is less about skill than it is about luck. If it were that simple, those with that opinion would best be advised to have Walter Vargas pick their lotto numbers. Luck, though, is just one aspect of the Survivor. Walter Vargas has built his dominance with an endless amount of clutch shots and nerves of steel.
1st Hole:
Martin Witt, Eliminated (playoff with John Mann & Clint Crump)
For the 2nd straight year, unfortunately, Witt became ‘that guy’. “Dude, when you hit putts like those two guys (Mann and Crump), I’m not gonna win. You just can’t.”
2nd Hole:
Patrick Bird, Eliminated
Despite a terrific recovery shot after his tee shot ended up in the street, Bird’s putt to force a playoff stopped an inch from the cup. “You might as well just get the video from Frost because he was video taping my tee shot.”
3rd Hole:
Tim Joe, Eliminated (playoff with Chris Moawad & John Mann)
Mann’s clutch putt avoided another playoff with Joe who responded, “Thanks for f’n me John.”
4th Hole:
Chris Moawad, Eliminated (playoff with Clint Crump & Doug Vargas)
Caught in a 2nd straight playoff, the defending champion couldn’t avoid the axe. “Crazy shots. Clint’s shot was coming in crazy hot, hit the pin [to stay in play] and that kind of did me in.”
5th Hole:
Gerry Vaughan, Eliminated (playoff with Clint Crump & John Frost)
The only man not named Chris or Walter to have won this tournament, Vaughan was making his first appearance at the Survivor in 3 years. Of his unremarkable exit Vaughan commented, “Not much to talk about. Clint’s the playoff champ. He’s won like [3] of them right? High pressure situations. He’s over there sweatin’, but he pulls it through.”
6th Hole:
John Mann, Eliminated (playoff with Crump, W. Vargas, & Frost)
In the tournament he considers his favorite on Tour, Mann survived 2 previous playoffs thanks to clutch putting, but a problem that he had earlier reared its ugly head when his tee sot in the playoff shanked into the bushes. Said Doug Vargas following the shot, “Done-ski, it’s over. There’s no recovery from that.” Asked for his thoughts on his exit, Mann replied, “I have no thoughts.”
7th Hole:
Clint Crump, Eliminated
For the 2nd straight year, Crump misses the top-3 by 1 hole. He had survived 3 previous playoffs but couldn’t avoid the axe on his 4th. “It always comes down to these last holes. Whoever has just one errant shot is out. It happened to be my [time].”
8th Hole:
Doug Vargas, Eliminated
Vargas made it the furthest he’d ever gone, finishing 1 hole shy of the Final. “It’s a huge victory for me. I dread getting up [early] coming to this tournament because you can be the first one out.”
Final Hole:
John Frost, Eliminated
In a rematch of their 2011 Final Hole showdown (he lost in a double playoff), Frost found himself on the losing end once again. Despite a better tee shot than Vargas that had him in prime position, he would flub his next shot. Asked if it hurt more that it was a 2nd missed opportunity to beat Walter Vargas at the Survivor, Frost answered, “No. It has nothing to do with Walter, but it does hurt to lose when you get so close.”
Walter Vargas, 2013 Survivor Challenge Champion
Vargas left himself a lot of work for his 2nd shot, but he came through in the clutch, his ball landing on the small green like a magnet. Prior to the tournament many were asked which would be the safe money bet: W.Vargas-Moawad or the field. Following his win, Vargas confirmed the obvious: “Always put your money on me.”
