Tom Pernice Jr. finished his final round Sunday with birdies on the final two holes to edge Jeff Sluman and Corey Pavin and win by one stroke the 3M Championship held at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, MN. He would finish the tournament at 17-under-par 199—good for a one-stroke triumph over Sluman and Pavin.
Sluman began the day seven shots behind Pernice, his clubs were on fire early and charged into contention as he birdied his first seven holes to get to 13-under. He would par the Par-3 eight but followed it with another birdie on the Par-4 ninth and made the turn after scoring a record-setting 28 in the front nine.
His hot hand continued as he birdied the Par-4 10th hole to get to 15-under—nine-under for the day—and grab the lead. He would then ‘cool down’ as he would make ‘only’ one more birdie teh rest of the way and that was at the Par-4 14th.
He would enter the clubhouse as the leader after his sensational final bogey-free round of 10-under 62, that totaled 16-under 200 for the tournament. At the moment he led Pernice Jr by two shots and Pavin by three.
Pavin had made three consecutive birdies from the third to get to 13-under as he made the turn. He would tie Pernice Jr for second at 14-under after he birdied the Par-5 12th. But Pernice Jr, playing in the last group, right behind Pavin, would also birdie the hole an move to 15-under and solo second place.
Pavin would once again tie Pernice Jr with a birdie on the Par-4 16th, and then both were just one shot behind clubhouse leader Sluman. Pernice Jr would counter with a long birdie-putt at the Par-3 17th to pull even with Sluman on the lead at 16-under.
Pavin was playing the 18th and he would birdie the hole, and enter the clubhouse in a tie with Sluman and Pernice Jr who was starting to play the 18th. Pavin shot a bogey-free six-under 66 on Sunday.
Pernice Jr entered the Par-5 18th needing a par for a three-way playoff or a birdie for the outright win. But Pernice Jr was clutch again. His second shot was masterful, stopping within 15 feet of the hole.
His eagle try stopped just short, but a tap-in birdie got him the win. Pernice's late birdie-surge gave him a final round of four-under 68, and finished the tournament with a total of 17-under 199.
Sharing fourth at 14-under were Jay Haas (seven-under 65), Bart Bryant (five-under 67) and Rod Spittle (four-under 68). Haas had very good round where he made eight birdies and a lone bogey on the Par-4 14th. He would birdie the 18th to secure the three-way T-4th.
Kenny Perry, who was coming off consecutive major victories in the Senior Players Championship and U.S. Senior Open, was two shots behind coming to the final hole, but his second shot went into the water and he finished with a 67. He finished T-7th at 13-under 203 along with Craig Stadler (seven-under 65), Colin Montgomery (five-under 67) and Kirk Triplett (four-under 68)
Mark Wiebe who won the Senior British last week, was the opening round leader after opening with a 64. But he seemed to run out of steam in the weekend shooting 71-70 finishing six shots back, T-14th at 11-under in a group that included Fred Funk, Rocco Mediate, John Riegger and Tom Kite.
Kite started the day two shots back and was hoping to become the oldest winner on Champions Tour history. The 63-year-old who won the 1992 U.S. Open shot an even-par 72 and was never a factor.
This win was Pernice Jr’s second career Champions Tour victory and first since the 2009 SAS Championship and the winner’s share of $262,500 moves him into fourth place on the money list.