LA QUINTA, January 23, 2012 (AFP) - American Mark Wilson is off to another fast start on the PGA Tour, holding off an abundance of challengers in an extended Sunday to capture the $5.6 million Humana Challenge tournament.
Wilson fired a three-under 69 in the fourth round for a two-stroke victory -- his fifth career USPGA Tour win and his third in 13 months.
Wilson had to complete his third round Sunday morning after strong winds disrupted the tournament the day before. He led by three strokes after the third round and then rolled in four birdies in the fourth to finish at 24-under 264.
Wilson sank a 10-foot birdie putt on 18 with the afternoon light fading quickly on the Palm Springs-area golf course.
"I was amazed," said Wilson, who played his final eight holes in four under. "I just hung in there. I didn't make a lot of 20 footers and then I made that one on 16. I capped it off with a birdie on 18."
Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner finished two shots back of Wilson, who won two times in the first five weeks last season. All of his five victories have come in the first few months of the season.
Garrigus barely missed a 35-foot eagle putt on the final hole that would have put him in the lead. Wilson then stepped up and clinched the win, making his 10-footer look easy. He played bogey-free golf over his final 15 holes.
Garrigus hurt his chances by making bogey on No. 17 to fall out of a tie for the lead. He also missed a nine-foot putt for birdie on 18 that would have given him solo second spot.
In order for the pro-am event to finish on time, the third round resumed with professionals only, leaving out the celebrity amateurs such as former US president Bill Clinton who were slated to play through three rounds.
Australian golfing legend Greg Norman, who had completed nine holes with Clinton on Saturday when play was halted, was among the players who withdrew.
Norman, making his first USPGA Tour start since 2009, opened with a 72 and posted a 71 in the second round. He had just double-bogeyed the ninth hole to turn in 38 when play was halted Saturday.
LA QUINTA, January 23, 2012 (AFP) - Leading scores here on Sunday in the fourth-round of the USPGA Tour $5.6 million Humana Challenge on the Arnold Palmer Private Course and Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West and La Quinta Country Club (USA unless noted, all par-72):
264 - Mark Wilson 66-62-67-69
266 - Robert Garrigus 73-64-61-68, John Mallinger 67-65-68-66, Johnson Wagner 68-67-66-65
267 - Jeff Maggert 69-65-69-64
268 - John Senden (AUS) 69-64-68-67, David Toms 63-65-72-68
269 - Ben Crane 65-63-70-71, Bobby Gates 68-63-71-67, Zach Johnson 68-65-65-71, Brandt Snedeker 64-68-66-71
270 - Jason Dufner 71-63-68-68, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 65-71-70-64
271 - Sang-Moon Bae (KOR) 64-69-72-66, Gary Christian (GBR) 66-68-73-64, Martin Laird (GBR) 66-69-67-69, Pat Perez 67-67-74-63, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 68-68-68-67
272 - Harris English 69-62-73-68, Steve Marino 65-68-68-71, Camilo Villegas (COL) 63-68-72-69
273 - Stephen Ames (CAN) 66-67-70-70, Bob Estes 64-70-71-68, Matt Kuchar 71-67-70-65, Josh Teater 71-66-67-69
274 - James Driscoll 69-70-68-67, Paul Goydos 70-69-69-66, Jarrod Lyle (AUS) 68-67-67-72, Brendon Todd 66-67-69-72