Advertisement

2017 Barbasol Championship: Rookie Grayson Murray wins first PGA Tour title

By The Sports Xchange
Rookie Grayson Murray shot a 3-under-par 68 to finish 21 under par and win the Barbasol Championship by one stroke over Chad Collins for his first career PGA Tour victory on Sunday at Opelika, Ala. Photo courtesy of PGA Tour/Twitter
Rookie Grayson Murray shot a 3-under-par 68 to finish 21 under par and win the Barbasol Championship by one stroke over Chad Collins for his first career PGA Tour victory on Sunday at Opelika, Ala. Photo courtesy of PGA Tour/Twitter

Rookie Grayson Murray shot a 3-under-par 68 to finish 21 under par and win the Barbasol Championship by one stroke over Chad Collins for his first career PGA Tour victory on Sunday at Opelika, Ala.

Murray, who began the day one shot behind third-round leader Scott Stallings, had an eagle, four birdies and one bogey in his final round. His 72-hole total of 263 is a tournament record.

Advertisement

After bogeying No. 14, Murray finished par-birdie-par-par.

"I was in control," Murray told the Opelika-Auburn News. "I didn't get out of my game plan once. I was going to let them make the mistakes instead of myself.

"I was going to make them have to birdie the last hole, or the last two holes. I was playing for a par on 17 and 18. Those are two hard holes, and I knew if I parred both of those they would have to do something special to beat me."

Collins, who led by four shots after 36 holes, was even for the day before posting three consecutive birdies on Nos. 15, 16 and 17. He had a chance to tie it but missed a six-foot birdie chance on the 18th hole.

Advertisement

"I would like to have that putt on the last hole back again," Collins told the News. "I tried to put a good stroke on it and I didn't. That's golf. That's life."

Third-round leader Scott Stallings was at par after 15 holes and got within one of the lead with a birdie at No. 16 but was unable to close the gap. He missed an 18-footer for birdie at No. 17 and finished with a bogey at No. 18, winding up tied for third at 19 under.

Tag Ridings, who led for part of the final round, saw his chances slip away when he made a double bogey on No. 16. He finished at 19 under along with Stallings and Brian Gay.

The 23-year-old Murray's first win came in his 24th start. His lone top-10 finish of the season before Sunday's victory was in October at the Sanderson Farms Championship when he tied for eighth place.

Rookie Brett Drewitt had the day's low round, closing with a 9-under 62, a career low round on the PGA Tour for the Australian, who finished tied for 27th at 12 under.

Latest Headlines