After a shaky first nine, overnight leader Mark Wilson wrapped up his 5th PGA Tour title at the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California, on Sunday with a strong finish, signing off with a flourish by nailing a 10-foot putt for a birdie at the last.
It It was already dark when they crowned Mark Wilson - but to him it didn't really matterter
The 37-year-old American, who was three strokes clear when the weather-delayed third round was completed earlier on Sunday morning, closed with a 3-unnder 69 on the par 72 Palmer Private course at PGA West to beat compatriots Johnson Wagner, winner of last week's Sony Open in Hawaii, John Mallinger and Robert Garrigus by two shots.
Garrigus, who had dropped a shot on the 17th to stumble out of his tie for the lead with Wilson, had a chance to finish alone in second place but missed from nine feet for birdie on the last.
In the meantime Wilson, after carding a sluggish 1-over 37 on the front nine, found that he had been reeled in and was tied at the top with Mallinger and Garrigus heading down the final stretch, but he kept his patience and composure and broke clear again to play the last eight holes in four-under par for a closing 69 and a 24-under-par total of 264.
Wilson bogeyed the third and did not pick up his first birdie of the day until the par-five 11th.
However, he then sparked a fightback when he holed a bunker shot on the par-three 12th for his second successive birdie.
After that there was no stopping Wilson as he sealed victory with nightfall setting in on a long day with further birdies on the 16th and 18th holes.
"I was amazed at the peace I felt after the (shaky) start I had," Wilson said. "I just hung in there and yes, it's great to win."
Wilson seems to make a habit of picking up titles early in the year, Both of his victories last year came before the second week in February.
"The only thing I can think of is that during the break in November and December, I can clear my mind of golf," he said.
"I tend to remember the good things I did in the season before, and when I came out the last two years I really just had a clear mind and was really focusing on what I was doing, not worrying about my standing in the world rankings or my standing in the money list or FedExCup.
"I feel like I'm more into my zone so I've altered my schedule this year with a two and a three-week break in the middle of the season to try to simulate that (a clear mind). We'll see how that works."
Note: The inaugural four-round Humana Challenge in which each professional plays with an amateur, has replaced the aging, five-round Bob Hope Classic in which each professional played with three amateur partners.
THE PROS TOP 10 LEADERBOARD:
264 Mark Wilson (USA) 66 62 67 69
266 Johnson Wagner (U.S.)68 67 66 65, John Mallinger (USA) 67 65 68 66, Robert Garrigus (USA) 73 64 61 68
267 Jeff Maggert (USA) 69 65 69 64
268 John Senden (Aus) 69 64 68 67, David Toms (USA) 63 65 72 68
269 Bobby Gates (USA) 68 63 71 67, Ben Crane (USA) 65 63 70 71, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 64 68 66 71, Zach Johnson (USA) 68 65 65 71
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