Chopra wins Monday finish in Florida
Daniel Chopra closed with a two-under 71 and completed the event at 19-under-par 273.
Port St. Lucie, FLÂ - Daniel Chopra got up and down for birdie on the 16th hole Monday morning, then parred the final two holes to secure his first PGA Tour win at the Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro Club.
Chopra, who was the third-round leader, closed with a two-under 71 and completed the event at 19-under-par 273.
“It’s amazing. It is something that I’ve dreamed about for a long time,” said Chopra, who collected $810,000 for the win. “I grew up in India and had to fly overseas just to buy golf balls because you couldn’t buy them in India at the time. To think that I could come from there to being a winner on the PGA Tour, it’s pretty special.”
Shigeki Maruyama and Fredrik Jacobson were tied for the lead with Chopra as the Monday finish started. However, both players made par on 17 and 18 to end one shot back.
Maruyama and Jacobson closed with rounds of four-under 69 to finish at minus-18.
Dicky Pride fired a nine-under 64 on Sunday to get in at 16-under-par 276. He stayed around for the Monday finish in case he was needed for a playoff, but was not that fortunate.
This was the third unscheduled Monday finish of the year and it was caused by suspensions and delays the first three days of the event.
Chopra, who lost a four-shot lead on Sunday, started on the par-five 16th Monday. He found the right rough off the tee, then hit his second to 85 yards and his third came to rest nine feet from the hole.
The Swede drained the birdie putt to take the lead at 19-under. At the par- three 17th, he safely two-putted for par from over 50 feet.
Chopra found a fairway bunker off the 18th tee, but recovered nicely as he dropped his approach 26 feet from the cup. He calmly two-putted for par and his first tour win.
“I’ve never had a putt or two putts to win a golf tournament on the PGA Tour before,” Chopra admitted. “You never know how you’re going to react. I managed to put all of that out of my mind and I said ‘Go ahead and trust how you would hit this putt if it was the first round.’ I was reasonably calm over those two puts and I was able to trust what I’ve done in the past.”
Chopra’s fellow Swede, Jacobson, executed a stellar bunker shot on the par- three 17th. He blasted to five feet and knocked the putt in for par.
“I had to land it perfect to have a chance to stop it because of the elevation. I had to hit it up five feet, then it was downhill from there,” said Jacobson of the bunker shot. “I caught it perfect and landed it right where I had to stop it and give myself a good chance to save par.”
At the last, he left himself 42 feet for birdie and a chance to tie for the lead. However, his birdie effort never touched the hole and he tapped in for par and a share of second.
Maruyama missed the 17th green right, but got up and down for par to remain one back. He also had a chance to force a playoff at the 18th, but his second shot stopped 33 feet from the hole.
He was unable to convert, but the tie for second all but secured Maruyama his PGA Tour card for next year. The top 125 on the money list keep their tour cards for next year and Maruyama moved from 137th to 103rd with his tie for second.
Sean O’Hair, one of the six Monday finishers, bogeyed the 17th en route to a one-over 74. He shared fifth place at 13-under-par 279 with Cameron Beckman, Ken Duke and Charlie Wi.
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