By Jay Betsill
J.B. Holmes won his third career PGA Tour title this weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship held at the exclusive Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. This is, however, Holmes first win since recovering from brain surgery almost three years ago.
“Just enjoying the moment,” Holmes said. “You don’t get that very often, so getting up and thanking God for letting me have the opportunity to do it. Whether I made it or not, just enjoy being there.”
Holmes bogeyed the final hole for a one shot victory over Jim Furyk, who fired a 65 and waited in the locker room for a possible playoff. Phil Mickelson began Sunday in contention, but a 76 dropped him off the leader board.
“It’s been a long journey for me,” said Holmes, who collected $1.24 million for the win. “I’ve had some ups and downs. It’s a great feeling to be out there and to get one done.”
Notables in the field included Justin Rose (5, -10), Rory McIlroy (T8, -8), Zach Johnson (T14, -6), Martin Kaymer (T18, -5), Rickie Fowler (T38, -2), Ernie Els (T44, -1) and Hunter Mahan (T50, E). Next up on the PGA Tour is what is annually known as the best field in golf, The PLAYERS Championship from TPC Sawgrass.
NOTES
— Stacy Lewis fired a 64 on Sunday at Las Colinas Country Club for a six stroke win at the North Texas LPGA Shootout. It was the ninth career LPGA Tour victory for Lewis, the Woodlands resident who climbs to No. 2 the world rankings. Meena Lee was second, followed by Michelle Wie in third place.
— Bernhard Langer won the Insperity Invitational to become a 20-time winner on the Champions Tour. It was Langer’s third victory at The Woodlands. Fred Couples, the former University of Houston player who won the event in 2010, finished one shot out of the lead.
“On a golf course as hard as this, you can’t really play relaxed golf,” Couples said. “You have to pay attention to what you’re doing. I didn’t hit enough good shots to shoot a lot lower to catch Bernhard, although I got close to him.”
— Tiger Woods Design will redesign an 18-hole golf course near Houston that will be called Bluejack National, the world’s No. 1 player announced on his website. Bluejack National is scheduled to be open in the fall of 2015 and will be the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods to open in the U.S.
“I’ve known Michael Abbott and other members of Beacon Land Development for many years. I have tremendous respect for their ability and their commitment to excellence, and I am proud to be a part of Bluejack National,” Woods said. “Bluejack National has one of the best natural settings for golf I have seen.”