Ken Duke birdied his 72nd hole of the week to win his first title on the PGA Tour Champions at the Shaw Charity Classic on Sunday in Calgary, Alberta.
Duke, a former Canadian Tour player, made a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club to break a three-way tie and avoid a playoff with Tim Petrovic and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee.
Duke’s 4-under 66 final round was enough for a total score of 14-under 196.
“I’ve always dreamed about this,” Duke said. “This is where I started my professional career up here in Canada, and I always thought that I’d win up here, and here we are. I mean, 1996 to 2003, so here we are finally doing it.”
Jaidee set the early pace by firing an 8-under 62 to reach 13 under. Duke played in the final group with Petrovic, who began the day with a two-shot advantage, and the pair were tied at 11 under when they made the turn.
Petrovic birdied Nos. 11 and 13, while Duke did the same at Nos. 13 and 15 to reach 13 under. At the par-5 18th hole, Petrovic’s second shot went from rough to rough, and he was unable to recover to make birdie. He carded a final-round 69.
“Unfortunately on 18, I just laid it up in the rough,” said Petrovic, a runner-up on the PGA Tour Champions for the 11th time. “It was in the worst spot possible with that tight pin and had to play to the left just to give myself a putt at it. Almost made it. That would have been nice.”
Duke, meanwhile, reached the green in three and made his birdie.
“I did not see it go in” while celebrating, Duke said. “I knew it was straight, I just hoped it did not move out. I did not see it go in.”
Jaidee’s round included nine birdies and a lone bogey.
“I was surprised today. We had really very low score today,” Jaidee said. “I think we shoot 8 under today. Very surprised today. I (haven’t) hit like a low score in many, many year. This one is especially today, give me like (confidence) back.”
Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland (63), Billy Andrade (67) and Scott Dunlap (67) tied for fourth at 11 under.
–Field Level Media
