Mark Wilson of the USA held off the challenge of countrymen Johnson Wagner, Robert Garrigus and John Mallinger to win the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation at La Quinta in California.
Wilson had to return to the course early on Sunday morning to complete the final three holes of his third round that had been curtailed by ferocious winds on Saturday. After those three holes were completed, Wilson held a three-shot lead.
Robert Garrigus had played himself into contention with a superb third round of 61 and he was one of eight players to get within two shots of the lead at the mid-way point of the final round.
Wilson was quickly reeled in but re-took the lead by pitching in from a greenside bunker on the 12th. But both Mallinger and Garrigus caught up again with birdies at the 14th.
Wilson and Garrigus moved one clear after both holed testing birdie putts on the 16th. Garrigus then fell back by missing a short par putt at the 17th.
The long hitting Garrigus then found the par-5 18th green in two and had a chance for eagle. Wilson left himself a tricky putt for a birdie four. Garrigus narrowly missed for three and his ball rolled on some nine feet past the hole. Wilson, then had a putt to win the tournament. In the gathering darkness he calmly rolled it home.
"Robert and I, going back and forth, we really enjoyed that," Wilson said. "It just came down to 18, and I didn't want to give him a chance to make that putt to tie me. ... That's what we play for. You want somebody to win it, not necessarily to lose it."
Johnson Wagner closed with an excellent 65 to move into a tie for second with Garrigus and Mallinger. A winner last week, Wagner is 35-under-par for his last eight PGA Tour rounds.
Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation PGA West, La Quinta, California Jan 19-22, purse $5,600,000, par 72
1 Mark Wilson (USA) 66 62 67 69 264 $1,008,000 T2 Johnson Wagner (USA) 68 67 66 65 266 $418,133 T2 Robert Garrigus (USA) 73 64 61 68 266 $418,133 T2 John Mallinger (USA) 67 65 68 66 266 $418,133 5 Jeff Maggert (USA) 69 65 69 64 267 $224,000 T6 John Senden (Aus) 69 64 68 67 268 $194,600 T6 David Toms (USA) 63 65 72 68 268 $194,600 T8 Ben Crane (USA) 65 63 70 71 269 $156,800 T8 Bobby Gates (USA) 68 63 71 67 269 $156,800 T8 Zach Johnson (USA) 68 65 65 71 269 $156,800 T8 Brandt Snedeker (USA) 64 68 66 71 269 $156,800
Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage Where next? European Tour - Branden Grace wins Volvo Golf Champions
