Unless you are a rabid golf fan, you’d wouldn’t recognize Aussie golfer Greg Chalmers.
You might have seen him once or twice, he’s the little left-handed guy not named Mickelson or Watson.
He came into the PGA Tour’s “opposite event” the Barracuda Championship, which used to be the Reno-Tahoe, or Tahoe-Reno, whichever you prefer. It’s not even a regular stroke play event, they use the “modified Stableford” that awards points.
Suffice to say that Chalmers is the ultimate journeyman. He had played in 385 PGA Tour events without the taste of victory. That changed on Sunday when he eagled the 72nd hole to beat runner-up Gary Woodland — 43 points to 37. All Chalmers needed at that last hole, a par five, was a par to win as Woodland only managed to accumulate four points over his final 18. Instead, Chalmers hit an altitude-aided 320-yard drive then hit a seven-iron from 230 yards out and holed an eight-foot putt for his eagle and the win.
“It’s hard to win and I’m very thrilled and very pleased to get it done,” said the 42-year-old Aussie, who turns 43 in October. “It was tough,” Chalmers said of his final 18 holes. “This is a real fork in the road for my career and it’s in the right direction.”
The win got Chalmers into the Open Championship next week at Royal Troon and he added, “I can’t wait.”
Colt Knost finished third with 35 points and Tim Herron got his best finish of the year, a fourth with 34 points.
