Ryan Palmer (Classics Tour BOA style 51937, SciFlex glove) made a 10-foot birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to break out of a six-way all-FootJoy tie for the lead and win the Ginn sur Mer Classic. With the win, Palmer secured a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR. Entering this week, he was No. 143 on the money list with two tournaments remaining. The top 125 following next week’s event at Disney earn a PGA Tour card for 2009.
Palmer finished at 7-under 281 and earned $828,000 for his second career victory. It was the fifth time in six events during the Fall Series that a player outside the top 125 on the money list won a tournament.
Palmer’s birdie on the final hole broke a tie a the top among six players…all who wore FootJoy golf shoes during the final round. Inclusive of Palmer who wore Classics BOA, the following five players tied for second place: George McNeill, Nicholas Thompson, Vaughn Taylor, Ken Duke and overnight leader Michael Letzig.
The fourth round twice was suspended because of bad weather, which didn’t help anyone break out of the pack. Seven players had at least a share of the lead at one point, and there was a six-way tie during the first stoppage in play.
Palmer appeared to have control with a two-shot lead until he reached the 10th green. He noticed his ball move slightly after he addressed his 30-foot birdie attempt, and after calling a rules official, assessed himself a one-shot penalty and made bogey.
He pulled his next tee shot into the water for double bogey to fall out of the lead but rejoined the back with an up-and-down from the bunker on the par-5 13th. Palmer made pars the rest of the way, including a nervy two-putt from 40 feet on the 17th, then laid up on the closing hole and stuffed his wedge into 10 feet for the winning putt.
