No thrills at Torrey

The scenic ocean-side stage was more colorful than the winning performance in the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines yesterday.

Ben Crane, despite missing two short par putts on the back nine, held on for an anti-climatic one-shot victory over Michael Sim, Brandt Snedeker and Marc Leishman. On a scale of 1 to 5, Oldgolfdawg would throw it 2 dog biscuits.

Crane shot a 2-under 70 and finished at 13-under 275 for his third career victory, ending an 0-98 drought that stretched to Milwaukee in the summer of 2005. Starting the final round two shots behind, he opened with three birdies in five holes, including one from just more than 45 feet on No. 3. He expanded his lead to three shots with another 45-foot birdie putt on the 11th.

At that point, it became a matter of hanging on, which he did in a plodding fashion with help from a field unable to sustain a challenge.

Phil Mickelson, the world's No. 2-ranked player making his season debut, never was a factor in the final round. He bogeyed his first three holes on is way to a 73 and finished 19th. Robert Allenby made a charge only to fall back by losing five shots in four holes.

Sim, a 25-year-old Australian playing in the last group with Crane, closed with a 71. He kept within striking distance of Crane the entire round. Sim barely missed a 15-foot birdie on the 17th hole that would have tied him for the lead after Crane missed a par putt inside 3 feet on the same hole.

After watching Crane lay up with his second shot on the par-5 18th, Sim passed up a chance to reach the green in two from about 250 yards, a decision that caught CBS analyst Nick Faldo by surprise. Instead, Sim laid up too and then hit a wedge that spun back off the front of the green, leading to a par and his three-way share of second place.

Snedeker closed with a 69 after narrowly missing a 12-foot birdie on the last hole. Leishman, an Australian coming off a rookie of the year season, had a 68.

The best part of watching the final round in Oldgolfdawg's mind was seeing 21-year-old Rickie Fowler in action. Fowler, a former standout at Oklahoma State, has an aggressive swing that CBS announcer Gary McCord likened to that of a young Lanny Wadkins. Fowler didn't show much putting prowess, but his ball-striking ability was clearly evident. He cost himself a chance at his first PGA Tour victory when he made double bogey at the 17th hole. He recovered with a birdie at the 18th that left him in a four-way tie for fifth place at 11 under.

"Just knowing that I can compete out here, (this gives me) a little more confidence in that," Fowler said. "I played well for a couple events in the Fall Series last year at Vegas and Frys in Scottsdale. This just kind of reminds me that I can go out and win if I put myself in position."

Fowler, who took the tour by storm after turning pro last summer, is a qualifying-school grad who missed his first two cuts this season. But he has three top-10s in just 11 starts on the tour, including a playoff loss at the Frys.com Open last year. He might turn out to be America's answer to Europe's Rory McIlroy.