Healthy Round For Collins
EX-PGA Tour Golfer Wins $13,500 Prize at N.M. Open
SANTA ANA PUEBLO — Albuquerque’s Wil Collins shook off a head cold and a pair of heady competitors to capture the 59th annual New Mexico Open on Thursday at Santa Ana Golf Club.
Collins, who closed with a 6-under 64, picked up three shots on James Drew in the final two holes and took a two-shot win in the 54-hole event at 12-under 198.
Tony Finau of Lehi, Utah, had a chance to tie on the final hole, but three-putted for bogey and finished tied for second at 10 under with Drew.
Drew, from Las Vegas, Nev., also made bogey on 18.
“Maybe I should get sick more often,” said Collins, 34, who won $13,500. “It’s worked well the last two weeks.”
Collins, a former University of New Mexico golfer who was on the PGA Tour in 2009, won the Nebraska Open last week while catching his cold.
Zack Reeves of Arlington, Texas, finished fourth at 7 under, while Four Hills Country Club assistant David Muttitt was the Sun Country Golf Association’s top finisher. Muttitt finished in a threeway tie for fifth at 6 under.
Albuquerqueans Madalitso Muthiya (5 under) and Steve Saunders (3 under) tied for eighth and 12th. Albuquerque native and four-time PGA Tour winner Notah Begay III was in a five-way tie for 12th.
Despite his cold, Collins got off to a hot start Thursday. He entered the round in a six-way tie for third and one shot behind co-leaders Drew and Rhein Gibson of Edmond, Okla. But Collins grabbed a share of the lead with five birdies for a 4-under 31 on the front nine. Another birdie on No. 10 got him to 11 under for the event, and gave him the lead.
Finau, playing in the same group as Collins, faded on the front nine but then went on a charge. He made birdies at 10, 12 and 13 (Cheena Nine) to pull within two shots of first.
“It’s hard because you really don’t know where everyone else stands,” Finau said. “But I knew Wil was playing well and figured he was on top of the leader board, so I was just trying to keep pace with him and chase him.”
Drew, playing one group behind Collins and Finau, made birdie on 13 to get to 11 under, then made another birdie on the par-3 14th to grab the lead at 12 under.
Finau got back within two shots with a birdie on 16, then drained another birdie putt on the par-5 17th to move to 11 under and tied with Collins for second. But Collins responded with a birdie putt on 17, making an 8-footer to get to 12 under and tie Drew for first.
“I think I got a little complacent after the hot start, and when Tony started pushing me a little bit, I knew I had to start playing if I was going to win,” Collins said. “After Tony made that putt on 17, I knew I had to make mine to stay ahead of him.”
Collins then got some help from Drew, who played on the Nationwide Tour in 2009.
Drew hit his second shot into a fairway trap on the 17th, and his ball nestled against the lip of the bunker. He had to just punch out, and eventually made bogey to lose his share of the lead.
“I did it to myself; I shouldn’t have hit it in there,” Drew said of the bad lie in the trap.
Collins and Finau hit nice approach shots on the 18th, a 502-yard par 4 with a lake guarding the left front of the green. Finau had a birdie attempt from the fringe from about 25 feet, but blasted it 7 feet past the cup. He missed the comeback putt, as well.
“I knew I had to make it to have a chance,” Finau said of his birdie attempt. “I didn’t care about second place; I wanted to win. I did give myself an opportunity, but I totally misread that putt.”
Collins 2-putted for par to finish his round, meaning Drew needed a birdie to force a playoff. But Drew hit his drive in the right rough and chose to lay up short of the lake on the second shot. He ended up making bogey.
“I figured I had a better chance of holing the wedge than making birdie from 225 out from out of the rough,” Drew said of his decision to lay up.