Rookie Charlie Beljan wins the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic
Charlie Beljan won the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic on Sunday, his first PGA Tour title. After recording a three-under par 69 in the final round, he triumphed with a two-stroke victory over Matt Every and Robert Garrigus.
The tournament was being played at the Magnolia Golf Club and the Palm Golf Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Beljan, who suffered a panic attack during his second round campaign on Friday, was pleased with his decision of defying the medical advice by continuing in the tournament.
The decision paid him off in the end, as he became the fourth PGA Tour rookie this season to record a victory.
The American got off to a shaky start, as he mixed two birdies with the same number of bogeys over the first five holes and followed that with a par putt on the sixth.
He then picked up pace and birdied five of the next six holes to stretch his lead to five strokes.
On the 13th hole, he lost control over his clubs and conceded a double bogey. However, he remained focused and did not allow a bad hole to overhaul his overall performance in the tournament.
“I made double and I actually wasn't even upset about it at all, because I still had a three-shot lead with four or five to play on a Sunday on the PGA Tour and that was all I thought about,” he said.
He added, “It would have been nice to make a par or have five shots or something, but everybody was still chasing me and that's the goal”.
Thereafter, he added another shot to his scorecard on the 14th hole but lost that on the 18th with a bogey. Yet, it did not matter to him, as he still finished two shots better than his closest rivals in the field.
“It was incredible. I was just happy that the day was over. I was happy that I was a PGA TOUR champion. I was happy that my wife and my baby were here,” he said.
Following his victory in Florida, Beljan also received a two-year exemption to play on the PGA Tour.
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