PGA Tour rookie Chris Kirk birdied two of the last four holes to win the Viking Classic at Madison, Mississippi by a single stroke and claim his firsr career win.
The 26-year-old American birdied the 15th and 17th holes in a closing round of 4-under-par 68 to regain the outright lead and capture his first PGA Tour title with a total of 22-under-par.
Tom Pernice and George McNeill finished tied for second at 21-under while a further three players, Bud Cauley, Hunter Haas and Jim Renner, were a further shot behind as Americans filled the top six places.
The highest placed foreigner was South Korea's Kang Sung-hoon, who finished tied for seventh after briefly holding a share of the lead, with Australian Peter Longard a shot further back.
Kirk led the tournament by a shot heading into the final round but with the Annandale Golf Club's soft greens ideal for low scoring, he was under immediate pressure and did not pull clear until the penultimate hole as a handful of players took turns sharing the lead.
Kirk, who earned his PGA Tour card by finishing second on the Nationwide Tour money list last year, went out in 35 then made two early birdies on the back nine before a bogey on 14.
He steadied himself with a birdie at the par-3 15th before regaining the outright lead on the par-4 17th when he hit his approach over the water to within five feet of the hole for an easy birdie putt.
"It was 140 yards and it was a 9-iron," Kirk said. "So I was aiming right at the pin and nowhere else. That was my only thought."
Kirk became the fifth rookie to win on the Tour this year, joining Jhonnatan Vegas, Brendan Steele and Keegan Bradley and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
Reuters
Tags: golf, sport, united-states First posted July 18, 2011 11:14:48
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