Matt Bettencourt closed with a four-under 68 to beat Bob Heintz by one stroke and capture his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday at the US$3 million Reno-Tahoe Open. Bettencourt’s US compatriot Heintz, who doesn’t play on the Tour, missed a three-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole with a chance to force a playoff.
“I will take it anyway I can,” Bettencourt said. “I hate to see someone miss like that at the end but at same time I felt I played well enough all week to win.”
Bettencourt made a bogey at the final hole after finding two bunkers.
“I made some great up and downs,” Bettencourt said. “I feel like I’m as good of a bunker player as anybody in the world.”
Bettencourt putted for eagle on the par-five No. 11 and rolled in a birdie putt on 17 en route to finishing at 11-under 277 at the Montreux Golf and Country Club course.
John Merrick and Sweden’s Mathias Gronberg each shot 69 and tied for third at nine-under.
Bettencourt, who played in the same group as Heintz, won over a depleted field with most of the world’s top golfers in Europe for the British Open.
Heintz for example began the week attempting to qualify for a Nationwide Tour event before being told to get on a plane to play in the Reno Open.
“That was about a three-quarter-inch to a one-inch pull,” Heintz said of his missed putt. “I wanted it inside the hole and I did start it left edge and I missed. I can handle it. I am a big boy.”
Bettencourt needed just 24 putts on Sunday. He gave a lot of credit to caddie Matthew Achatz who normally caddies on the Tour for Rocco Mediate. Achatz became available when Mediate traveled to Europe to work as a television analyst for the British Open.
“Thank you, Rocco, for letting me use him,” Bettencourt said. “He made me believe in myself.”
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