Trevor Immelman won his first tournament since he donned a Green Jacket at the 2008 Masters. Injuries have hampered the South African’s career over the last several years.
He missed 12 cuts in 24 starts in 2013 on the PGA Tour and finished at No. 143 on the FedEx Cup points list. With his five-year exemption into PGA Tour events now expired, he took full advantage of the new Web.com Tour Finals and won the inaugural Hotel Fitness Championship.
He played consistently all four rounds, with scores of 67-66-69-66, to finish at 20-under par, one shot better than rookie Patrick Cantlay.
Immelman earned $180,000 for the win, but the guaranty of earning a 2014 PGA Tour card far exceeds the winner’s check.
His win at the Hotel Fitness Championship secures one of the 25 PGA Tour cards that will be issued at the conclusion of the Web.com Tour Finals in three weeks.
The Web.com Tour awarded The 25, the top-25 on the Web.com Tour money list, PGA Tour cards for next season after the Cox Classic, the last regular season event on the Web.com Tour. The Web.com Tour Finals consists of four tournaments and will award another 25 PGA Tour cards to the top 25 money earners over these events.
PGA Tour Q-School now only awards exemptions to the Web.com Tour. The Web.com Tour Finals become the last chance to earn one of the precious 25 PGA Tour cards for 2014.
Cantlay had held the 54-hole lead, but three bogeys at Nos. 8, 9 and 11 proved to be his undoing. He did make three birdies in his final round, but could only manage pars over his last six holes.
Cantlay just missed finishing inside The 25 and earning his 2014 PGA Tour card. He had been as high as No. 1 on the Web.com Tour early in the season, but back problems forced him to miss much of the season.
He returned to action for the last two regular seasons tournaments on the Web.com Tour, but missed the cut at both the News Sentinel Open and the Cox Classic. He fell to No. 29 on the money list and has been forced to earn his PGA Card for next year via the Web.com Tour Finals.
He earns $108,000 for his runner-up finish at the Hotel Fitness Championship which should assure him a 2014 PGA Tour card.
Scott Gardiner and Kevin Kisner finished tied for third at 18-under par.
Michael Putnam, who finished in the top spot on The 25, had another strong week and finished T-7.
Sean O’Hair, Nick O’Hern and Hunter Haas all finished inside the top 25 and kept their chances alive for a 2014 PGA Tour card.
Aaron Oberholser finished at T-18. He had put himself in position for a high finish, but a final round 73 dropped him down the leaderboard. He won the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, but hand injuries have sidelined him for nearly five years. At age 38 he is attempting to revive his golfing career and get back out on tour.
This was the first event of the new Web.com Tour Finals. It appeared to be a resounding success and should permanently quiet all of the Q-School lovers.
The Web.com Tour Finals provides 16 rounds over four tournaments for professionals to play their way back to the PGA Tour.
It gives golfers from the PGA Tour that finished Nos. 126-200 in the FedEx Cup, as well as, the top-75 money winners from the Web.com Tour one more chance to earn a PGA Tour card for next season.
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem’s vision of the combination of rookies and veterans alike vying for a place to play next year spread out over four weeks seems to be working.