Rookie Murray captures Barbasol Championship
OPELIKA, Ala. — Grayson Murray unhappily found himself with a couple of extra days to prepare for the Barbasol Championship — and ended up with a breakthrough victory.
After missing the weekend cut the previous week in the John Deere Classic, the rookie won his first PGA Tour title Sunday. He holed a 5-foot par putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory.
Murray closed with a 3-under-par 68 to edge Chad Collins on Grand National’s Lake Course. The 23-year-old former Wake Forest and Arizona State player set up the winning par with a long putt from below the hole. He finished at 21-under 263, a tournament record.
“I was in control,” said Murray, who earned $630,000. “I didn’t get out of my game plan once. I was going to let them make the mistakes instead of myself.”
Murray arrived in Alabama a week earlier after suddenly finding himself with an open weekend. It paid off, with the win securing him a spot in the PGA Championship in his home state of North Carolina, though not the Masters.
Murray came in ranked 124th in the Fedex Cup standings, with the top 125 qualifying for the playoffs. He jumped to 58th.
A big key to his victory: “That was the best I’ve ever driven it in my life.”
Collins closed with a 68 two days after posting one of the tournament’s two rounds of 60. A tap-in for par on No. 18 left him waiting to see if Murray would stumble.
Collins had a run of four birdies in five holes leading into the 18th. He missed a 6-footer with a shot at another one and a potential tie with Murray.
Collins tied for fourth at The Honda Classic, and his best previous finish was third last year in the Texas Open.
Brian Gay had a 65 to tie for third at 19 under with thirdround leader Scott Stallings (71) and Tag Ridings (69).
■ At Sylvania, Ohio, In-kyung Kim rallied to win the Marathon Classic to become the second two-time winner this season on the LPGA Tour.
Two strokes behind 18-yearold Nelly Korda entering the round, Kim birdied six of the first nine holes and finished with an 8-under 63 for a four-stroke victory over Lexi Thompson.
Kim also won the Shoprite LPGA Classic in June in New Jersey. The six-time LPGA Tour winner joined fellow South Korean player So Yeon Ryu as the lone multiple winners this season.
After playing the front nine in 6-under 28, the 29-year-old Kim added birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. She finished at 21-under 263 at Highland Meadows.
LPGA —