Naples, Florida – Justin Leonard won the Chubb Classic for his first PGA Tour Champions victory, overcoming a slow start on Sunday with a charge of nine back on the Tiburon black course.
Leonard Birdie five of the last seven holes for a 68 sous 68 and a four -stroke victory over Billy Andrade. The 52 -year -old Texan won his 45th departure during the 50 -year -old tour, his first victory since the last of his 12 PGA Tour titles at the St. Jude 2008 championship.
“It’s been a long time since I won, and I tell myself all the time that I won,” said Leonard, fighting tears in the 18th green. “But it is easy to forget a little, and to say,” Well, you know, is it going to be? “
“I just did a lot of work. … I mean, last year was so bad that it was good. It was good for me. Made some changes with my golf swing. … It’s so fun to be finally here because I always felt like I would be. But it’s good to finally do it.
After a out of 10 bogey dropped it to 1 for the day, Leonard rushed to a key peer on 11, then sined the next three. He rushed again to peer on the 16th of 3, then obtained a 30 feet to catch the right edge for Birdie on the 17th par-4 and went from top to bottom of a Greenside bunker on The 18th par-5 for a last birdie.
“I kept telling myself that I was still in it,” said Leonard. “I felt like my best golf was in front of me. I played OK the first 10 holes. Eleven, the end was good, but it was just not my best golf. I kept telling myself to own the last seven holes. Once I had a little momentum, I felt like I was being able to mount it. »»
Leonard finished 15 sous 201. He pulled 65 years on Saturday to take ahead and prepared for the revolutionary victory in his return to the competition golf after a long race as a television analyst.
Leonard played at all levels, winning the American amateur title in 1992 and NCAA in 1994 for Texas to cap his amateur career, then take the 1997 open in Royal Troon and do the winning putt in the Ryder Cup 1999 in Brookline .
“I was not thinking of anything in particular today, but I just knew that I went there,” said Leonard. “Even if it could be 10, 20, 30, I was able to do it before.”
Andrade also drew 68 years. Darren Clarke finished third at 10 years old, also pulling 68.
Fred couples had a 66 to equalize for fourth at 9 years with Richard Green (68), Heath Slocum (70) and Paul Stankowski (71).
Ernie Els, a stroke behind Leonard entering the day, fired a 75 to finish 11th to 7 sous.
Bernhard Langer closed with a 70 on a tie for the 12th to 6 sous. He won the event record five times.
