Nov. 2, 2008
PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) - Ryan Palmer rallied from a rules mistake and pulled himself out of a seven-way tie to win the PGA Tour Ginn sur Mer Classic on Sunday.
Palmer was a three-time All-Big 12 player at Texas A&M from 1997-99.
Palmer, who was at No. 143 on the money list with two tournaments remaining, had to call a penalty on himself and made bogey on the 10th hole, then took double bogey on the next hole with a tee shot into the water.
But he rebounded with a 10-foot birdie he desperately needed on the final hole at Ginn Ocean Hammock Resort for his second career victory.
"What a feeling ... what a week," said the 32-year-old native of Amarillo. "I kept grinding and grinding. I proved to myself that I can win out here under any kind of conditions or circumstances."
Michael Letzig, the 54-hole leader, needed a birdie on the par-5 18th to force a playoff. But his wedge spun 35 feet down the slope and he had to settle for par and a 73 to finish one shot behind.
Also tying for second were George McNeill, Nicholas Thompson, Ken Duke and Vaughn Taylor, who was at No. 129 on the money list and earned enough to secure his card for next year.
The final tournament next week is at Disney, and the top 125 keep full privileges for 2009.
The fourth round twice was suspended because of bad weather, which didn't help anyone break out of the pack. Seven players had at least a share of the lead at one point, and there was a six-way tie during the first stoppage in play.
Palmer appeared to have control with a two-shot lead until he reached the 10th green. He noticed his ball move slightly after he addressed his 30-foot birdie attempt, and after calling a rules official, assessed himself a one-shot penalty and made bogey.
"Once you address the ball, you can't un-address it," Tour rules official Steve Rintoul. "The rules are pretty clear."
Palmer pulled his next tee shot into the water for double bogey to fall out of the lead, but rejoined the back with an up-and-down from the bunker on the par-5 13th.
"I was playing too well to let that happen," he said. "I told my caddie that it was the same thing as hitting into a bunker and not getting up-and-down. We just made a bogey."
Palmer made pars the rest of the way, including a nervy two-putt from 40 feet on the 17th, then laid up on the closing hole and stuffed his wedge into 10 feet for the winning putt.
He finished at 7-under 281 and earned $828,000. It was the fifth time in six events during the Fall Series that a player outside the top 125 on the money list won a tournament. The exception was Zach Johnson, who was at No. 125 when he won in Texas.