Ryan Palmer, that is, shooting a final-round 62 to win by three shots over Vijay Singh and Briny Baird. Palmer is the fifth PGA Tour rookie to win this year.
In addition to four straight birdies down the stretch, Palmer chipped in from 40 feet on fifteen and made a 44-foot birdie on seventeen that was moving at a hearty pace when it slammed into the hole. Palmer, of no relation to Arnold, said “I knew I could play. It was a matter of proving it to myself.”
Palmer began the day in 109th place on the money list, but this win and the $756,000 that goes with it was enough to vault him to the top 40, possibly earning an invitation to next year’s Masters and locking up an invitation to play in next week’s Chrysler Championship in Tampa.
Vijay Singh, trying to win his sixth event in seven starts and his fourth straight, played well but made a few mistakes coming home, including a driver on the sixteenth and a three-putt. Missed putts at seventeen and eighteen sealed his fate. Lehman couldn’t buy a putt and Briny Baird couldn’t have borrowed one from anyone. Singh needs only $174,834 in the final two weeks to win $10 meeeeellion this year. Say that in your best Dr. Evil voice!
Other notes:
- Mark Calcavecchia, #129 on the money list entering the week, tied for sixth and earned $135,975 to lock up his card for next year.
- Cameron Beckman, #123, earned $184,800 to get off the bubble.
- Billy Andrade, #126, tied for sixteenth. His position looks pretty safe as well.
- Five rookies won this year, including Todd Hamilton, Zach Johnson, Vaughn Taylor, Andre Stolz, and now Ryan Palmer. Five other first-time winners include Heath Slocum, Stephen Ames, Mark Hensby, and Rod Pampling.
Palmer’s 62 is the lowest final round by a winner in over two years on the PGA Tour (Phil Tataurangi, 62 in Las Vegas, 2002) and was one shot behind Payne Stewart’s course record 61, set in 1990.. Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of Payne Stewart’s death.
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