American Ryan Palmer shot 10-under 62 to come from five strokes back in Sunday's final round to win the US$4.2 million PGA Funai Classic.
Palmer had 10 birdies, and his 62 was the lowest fourth-round score by a winner on the PGA Tour in 2004.
PHOTO: AP
The 28-year-old Palmer finished at 22-under 266, three shots ahead of defending champion and world number one Vijay Singh, who shot 67, and overnight co-leader Briny Baird, who posted a 70.
The Tour rookie picked up US$756,000 and a two-year tour exemption.
"This is going to be something I cherish forever," Palmer said. "Trying to win for the first time, it's awesome knowing I can beat the best player in the world. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I got off to a fast start and had some things go my way. You need a little luck when you win, and I played great."
Fijian-Indian Singh, the world's top-ranked player, was seeking his ninth victory of the year.
He was still in the hunt until he bogeyed the 16th hole.
"Anyone on tour has the capability of playing well and Ryan showed it today," Singh said. "That's an incredible round of golf."
Palmer, the fifth rookie to win on tour this year, wasn't completely unfamiliar with victory, having won on the Nationwide development tour in New Zealand last year. He also finished second at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic just three weeks ago, his only previous top-10 finish.
Still, the world's 217th-ranked player wasn't exactly on the minds of too many spectators when he teed off tied for 13th, more than an hour before third-round leaders Baird and Tom Lehman.
Palmer made his presence felt with five birdies in the first six holes. Any nerves were under control as he sizzled down the stretch.
An eight-iron to two feet at the par-three 12th led to another birdie, and he subsequently reeled off four birdies in a row from the 14th.
Two of those were tap-ins and two were monsters -- a 40-foot chip-in at 15 and a 47-foot downhill putt at 17.
"I've been struggling all week on my long putts down grain, and when I saw that go in, I thought, `That's justice,'" he said. "My game has been real solid the last three or four weeks, and my wedge game has been superb. My short game has come a long way, and that probably saved me this week."
The victory meant Palmer had to do some quick re-setting of his goals for the rest of the season. If he stays in the top 40 on the money list after next week's event, he will qualify for the 2005 Masters, and if he jumps into the top 30, he will earn a spot in the season-ending Tour Championship.
Singh's goals remain somewhat higher. He had won five of his past six starts and was seeking his ninth victory of the season. He had a chance until a bogey at 16, where he three-putted from 50 feet.
"I made too many mistakes," he admitted, but added: "I played well, and I'm looking forward to next week.
"I thought when I teed off, 22-under was going to win. I was in line to shoot what I wanted to shoot, but that bogey on 16 took the air out of me."
Baird is still seeking his first tour victory. His final-round 70 in ideal conditions on the Magnolia course wasn't quite enough.
And for the third successive week, Lehman could not convert a third-round lead into a win.
"I just didn't make the putts," said Lehman, who tied for sixth.
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