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Kyle Stanley has lived a full career in his seven years on the PGA Tour. He's won dramatically. He's lost even more dramatically. His game has gone wayward. His game has soared again (of late). It all came full circle on Sunday when, for the first time since he took the Phoenix Open in 2012, Stanley won on the PGA Tour.

His victory this week came at the Quicken Loans National in a playoff over Charles Howell III. It was tough to know who to root for. The consistent veteran in Howell, who has gone nearly 300 tournament starts without a win but remains just one of three golfers to finish in the top 125 on the PGA Tour money list since 2000, or the former Clemson superstar in Stanley who has struggled so badly with his putting and short game in past years that he actually played on the Web.com Tour part time in 2014.

Stanley eventually won with a par on the first playoff hole.

"It means a lot," Stanley told CBS Sports' Dottie Pepper. "I've had so much help from my coaches, my family and my wife. It's confirmation we've been working on the right things. If anything, it will make me hungrier to get to work. It means a lot to me and to my team."

Stanley and Howell shot dueling 66s while playing together in one of the final few pairings on Sunday. Their identical 67-66 weekends were tied with Rickie Fowler for the best in the field. Both finished at 7 under overall Sunday, two clear of Fowler and Martin Laird.

Howell had a run at the victory in regulation when he somehow missed this 21-footer that looked perfect the whole way before ducking out of the way of the hole.

Stanley took advantage in the playoff even after blowing his tee shot out to the right. He found a good lie, and Howell made bogey from the fairway.

"I have a lot to digest here," Stanley said about his season and what a win entails. "A lot of things come when you focus on the process. I don't anticipate much change (the rest of the year). We'll continue to work hard and keep doing what we've been doing."

For both golfers, it was a successful week. Both probably haven't won as much as they should have given their ridiculous ball-striking. Stanley has been knocking on the door with at T6 at the Memorial Tournament and a T4 at The Players Championship. Howell has been out for a few months with a rib injury. 

Both grabbed spots into The Open Championship with this week's performance, but only Stanley got to kiss the trophy. It was a terrific shootout from a couple of elite swingers. A combined 65 on the back nine with no bogeys culminating in a playoff wrapped up an immense day of golf all over the globe. You couldn't have asked for a better performance or a more fitting winner.

Here are the rest of our grades for the Quicken Loans National.

Rickie Fowler (T3): Sunday could have (and maybe should have) been an all-timer for Fowler. He shot a 65 with a double bogey on the easiest hole on the course. 

Fowler made a personal best nine (!) birdies on the day and made a real run at winning this tournament from out of nowhere (he would have notched the winning score nearly 90 minutes before the third round leaders wrapped up). Still, it was a herculean effort from Fowler after a so-so first three rounds. Grade: A-

Justin Thomas (MC): I'm not concerned after two straight missed cuts from Thomas following his performance at the U.S. Open. This is just who he is. He might win, then miss three cuts. Then he might run off three straight top 5s and miss four more cuts. He's just the ultimate feast-or-famine golfer in an era of a lot of them. After winning two straight earlier this year in Hawaii, Thomas then missed the cut at the Phoenix Open. It's a pattern and not one that should worry anyone. Grade: F

Spencer Levin (T5): He might be a crazy person, and I love him for it. His "do something for me one time, baby" today was tremendous. Then he delivered an equally-great gem on No. 18. Grade: A+