Mark Wilson made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Humana Challenge on Sunday, beating Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner by two strokes in a dramatic dusk finish to the wind-delayed tournament.
Moments after Garrigus barely missed a 35-foot eagle putt that would have given him the lead, Wilson, a North Carolina graduate, coolly made his birdie try in the disappearing light, calmly celebrating his fifth career PGA Tour victory.
Wilson led by three strokes Sunday morning after finishing his third round, which was delayed by ferocious wind Saturday. Wilson quickly gave away the lead on the low-scoring Palmer Private course, but played bogey-free over the final 15 holes while every other competitor dropped back — including Garrigus, who fell out of the lead when he missed a 51/2-foot par putt on the 17th.
Wilson closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 24 under, taking the $1,008,000 winner's share of the $5.6 million purse.
After wind gusts topping 35 mph caused damage on all three courses and forced an early end to Saturday's competition, the final round stretched well past sunset in the Coachella Valley. The first three rounds were dominated by low scores, but Jeff Maggert made the biggest move in the final round, moving up to fifth with a bogey-free 64.
Eight players were within two strokes of the lead when the final group neared the turn, but Wilson weathered every challenge with solid shot-making that added to his reputation as a fast starter. Wilson won twice in the first few weeks of last season, and each of his five career victories have come before mid-March.
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dan Forsman won the season-opening for his third Champions Tour title in Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii, closing with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions for a two-stroke victory over Jay Don Blake.
The 53-year-old Forsman, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, finished with a 15-under 201 total at Hualalai Resort. He opened with rounds of 67 and 65 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round.
VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS: South African Branden Grace beat his more experienced countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a playoff to win at George, South Africa.
Grace birdied the first playoff hole at The Links at Fancourt — the par-five 18th — to earn his second consecutive victory on the European Tour.
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