Scott McCarron birdied Nos. 13 and 15 to finish at 7-under and earn a two-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
McCarron entered his final day at TPC Sugarloaf with a three-shot lead, but fell into a four-way tie after a bogey-birdie-double bogey start. He recovered, however, and finished 2 under the rest of the way, signing for a 71 and a three-day score of 7-under par, two clear of a foursome at 5 under, including Jerry Kelly (67), Kirk Triplett (69), Joe Durant (69), and Kent Jones (69).
“Obviously it’s a golf course I like,” said McCarron, who scored two of his three PGA TOUR victories at the BellSouth Classic (1997, 2001), held at TPC Sugarloaf.
“I got to play here my first time with Greg Norman, who designed the golf course. When we were coming here I called him for a practice round. He kind of showed me some of the lines off the tees, where you could go where you could get some more yardage and where you need to hit it on layups, those type of things.
“He taught me a lot on how to play this golf course. So I was able to take some of that knowledge and I played well that first year in ’97, ended up winning (BellSouth Classic), and then won again in 2001. I also had a couple opportunities where I played in the final group and didn’t get it done, the year Mickelson won.”
For his ninth career Champions Tour win, McCarron earned $270,000. He moved to No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings for the second time in his senior career.
Final Top 5 Leaders
Pos-Player-Score (Final Rd)
1. Scott McCarron -7 (-1)
2. Jerry Kelly -5 (-5)
3. Kirk Triplett -5 (-3)
3. Joe Durant -5 (-3)
3. Kent Jones -5 (-3)
Top Check Cashers
1. Scott McCarron – $270,000
2. Jerry Kelly – $120,600
2. Kirk Triplett – $120,600
2. Joe Durant – $120,600
2. Kent Jones – $120,600
McCarron’s Winning Stats
Driving: 281.0 yards (4th)
Fairways: 35/42, 83.3% (21st)
Greens: 44/54, 81.5% (1st)
Putts/GIR: 1.795 (18th)
Scoring: 1 Eagle, 13 Birdies, 30 Pars, 9 Bogeys, 1 Double
Quotable
“Again, this place is just very special to me. When I first came in through the gates, you see all the big, beautiful homes and everybody’s well-manicured yards, and the golf course is just fantastic, so it’s a golf course I love coming to.”
– Scott McCarron, Mitsubishi Electric Classic Champion
