Jeff Maggert finally found a putter and a mental approach that really works.
Maggert had been searching for the right loft and lie for months, bending nearly every putter in his closet. He settled on one Thursday and used it to roll in four birdies and an eagle Sunday in winning the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn., for his third PGA Tour title and first since 1999.
“I’m sure the guys in the Ping trailer will be happy,” said Maggert, who closed with a 5-under-par 65 for a three-stroke victory over Tom Pernice Jr. “They might not see me for a while.”
Maggert began the round three strokes back, and he sealed his first victory since the 1999 WGC-Accenture Match Play by rolling in a 36-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th for a three-stroke lead. He became the fourth player this year to come from behind on the final day to win.
He had a lone bogey in the final round, but his putter was the key with no birdie closer than 6 feet and the longest a 33-footer on the par-4 17th that helped him finish at 9-under 271 on the TPC at Southwind, the first time the winner here has been in single figures on this course.
“When it’s all done, Jeff did it,” Pernice Jr. said. “He closed the door. He played good. He deserves to win. No excuses there.”
Pernice Jr., who started Sunday tied with Tim Herron for the lead, shot a 71. John Cook, who won here at 26-under in 1996, closed with a 71 to tie for third with Kris Cox (72) at 4-under.
Herron, trying to join Phil Mickelson as the only players to win consecutive tournaments on the tour this year, had two double bogeys and finished with a 77 to fall into a tie for 16th at even-par 280.
LPGA: After tying for second the previous two weeks, Hee-Won Han parred the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff with Meena Lee to win the LPGA Corning (N.Y.) Classic.
It was Han’s first win of the year and fifth overall, and three have come in six playoffs. Lee, who finished second here for the second straight year, lost it when her second shot at the par-4 eighth bounced badly away from the green.
The victory was worth $180,000, boosting Han to third place on this year’s money list at just more than $700,000.
European Tour: David Howell shot a 3-under 69 to win the BMW Championship in Virginia Water, England, by five strokes over Simon Khan.
