 CPGA Archives |
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Richmond Hill, Ontario-- Canadians across the country are cheering as
one of their own captured the $450,000 Samsung Canadian PGA Championship in
Richmond Hill, Ontario. The second oldest golf tournament in Canada, which
began in 1912, joined the BUY.COM TOUR this season and its new champion,
from Richmond, British Columbia, provided plenty of excitement becoming the
first Canadian to win this tournament since 1996.
Zokol (66) spoke all week about the importance of winning this event
and on Sunday he showed no signs of weakness in pulling away from the field
to earn the three-stroke victory with a score of 17-under-par 271and the
$81,000 winner's check.
"I can't say enough about this championship. The CPGA Championship,
the historical value. I would rather have my name on this trophy this year
than any other year that I have played in the CPGA."
Gary Hallberg (68) finished in second. Pat Perez (69) and Tim
Petrovic (70) tied for third at 13-under. Tjaart van der Waalt (65), Omar
Uresti (68) and Rod Pampling (68) rounded out the top five, five shots
behind the leader.
"This was a tough man's tournament. The stars weren't here but great
players were and I can't say enough about the CPGA and the sponsors moving
the tournament in this direction. It makes me feel a lot more proud to win
the CPGA. I am killing two birds with one stone. I won a BUY.COM TOUR
tournament today and I won a national championship. I thank everyone for
that merger, for the PGA TOUR and the CPGA," continued Zokol, who moves up
to No. 8 on the money list with earnings of $111,349.
Zokol hadn't even planned on playing in this event until his number
did not get called for the FedEx St. Jude Classic on the PGA TOUR. He went
so far as entering the U.S. Open qualifier at Colonial CC in Memphis, TN
figuring that he would get into the PGA TOUR event.
"If I got into FedEx I was playing there. I was in Memphis last week.
I didn't commit to this tournament until late last week, a couple of days
before the deadline. I was anticipating getting into Memphis," said Zokol.
He did manage to qualify for the Open during his short stay in Memphis
and will carry the momentum of his first victory on the BUY.COM TOUR into
next week's competition at Southern Hills CC in Tulsa, OK.
"I had a month off. I'm fresh and quite frankly the emotional fuel
burn that I had this week wasn't as big as I thought. I feel pretty good.
After I got over the fatigue from qualifying for the U.S. Open I recovered
pretty quickly. I think it would have been a different story if I was on
week two or week three playing but I feel fresh and winning is winning. I
am feeling great heading into next week," continued Zokol, whose last
professional victory came at the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open on the PGA
TOUR.
While two of the three 54-hole leaders struggled throughout the day,
Zokol poured in three birdies on the front side to go to 14-under at the
turn and hold a one-stroke lead over Tommy Biershenk and Hallberg.
Biershenk joined him at 14-under briefly but faded on the back side of the
7,079-yard course with two bogeys and a double.
Zokol birdied No. 10 then Hallberg, who was also 3-under on the front,
added birdies on Nos. 11 and 13 to join him atop the leader board. Zokol
didn't waste much time getting the lead back. He nailed an 8-iron from 161
yards to within three feet of the 13th hole and dropped the birdie putt.
Then, added another on No. 14 and held off the field the rest of the way.
Hallberg was in contention until the 18th hole when he decided to go
for eagle with 250 yards between him and the back edge of the water. His
chances were doused though when his 3-wood hit the bank and bounced
backwards into the water.
"I knew I needed an eagle to have a chance and as it turned out that's
what it would of taken. I had a two-shot lead over the guy behind me so I
had to go for it. I felt good that I went for it but it hit the bank and
came in the water," said Hallberg, who also turned in his best-career
finish on this TOUR.
Van der Waalt turned in the best round of the day and made the biggest
move up the leader board. For the second week in a row he fired a
7-under-par 65 on Sunday. Last week it led to a T18 finish at the BUY.COM
Steamtown Classic, while this week it carried him into the top-five.
The BUY.COM TOUR travels to Quail Hollow Country Club in Concord, OH
next week for the $425,000 BUY.COM Greater Cleveland Open presented by
Dairy Mart.
Terry Dyni |
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