Marc Turnesa became the fourth rookie to win on the PGA Tour this season when he lifted the title at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas.
Turnesa scored a closing round of four-under 68 for a tournament-record 24-under 263 and a wire-to-wire victory, beating Matt Kuchar by a single stroke.
After sizzling opening rounds of 62 and 64, Turnesa cooled off a bit at the weekend but his scores were still too good for the chasing pack to hunt down.
At one stage, the 30-year-old was 25 under for the tournament but a bogey on the par-four 18th brought him back to 24 under. In the end, those five birdies in the last round were crucial in order to keep second-round joint leader Kuchar at bay.
Kuchar, who closed with 64, had the lead at one time but four straight pars to finish the tournament meant he was unable to gain the shot that could have taken it to a play-off.
Chad Campbell closed with a 67 for a total of 22 under to tie for third with John Mallinger (68) and Michael Allen (70).
If the name Turnesa is familiar to those with long golfing memories, it is because Marc has the pedigree. His great uncle was Jim, the 1952 PGA Championship winner. His grandfather, Mike, won six times on the PGA Tour and finished second to Ben Hogan at the 1948 PGA Championship.
According to an AP article, Mike had six golfing brothers, one of them, Joe, winning 15 times on the PGA Tour.
On the European Tour, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros scored a final round of 68 to win the Portugal Masters by three strokes at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.
Quiroz compiled a four-round total of 19-under-par 269 with Scotland’s former British Open winner Paul Lawrie in second on 272, after a 67.
Sweden’s in-form Robert Karlsson, England’s Ross Fisher and Steve Webster shared third place on 273.
Quiroz dedicated his triumph to Spain’s most famous golfing son, Seve Ballesteros, who is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour from his brain. Quiroz said on the Tour website:
“My caddy told me that Seve always wanted to beat everybody and today I drew inspiration from thinking about the way he played his golf. Seve was and still is a personal inspiration for all of the Spaniards and we wish him well. Seve played in a different way to the rest of the world. He was something special. He was playing more with the heart than the real game, and today was one of those days.â€
In Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, Morgan Pressel claimed her second LPGA Tour victory by lifting the inaugural Kapalua Classic.
Pressel shot a final round of 69 for a total of eight-under-par 280, which was one stroke ahead of Suzann Pettersen, who also finished with a 69.
After starting the final round tied in a four-way tie for the lead, Pressel moved ahead with five birdies, althoug she also dropped two strokes.
