Jeff Maggert sank eagle and birdie putts from beyond 30 feet in the closing holes to win his first US PGA Tour title in seven years, taking the St. Jude's Classic by three strokes here on Sunday.
Maggert dropped a 36-foot eagle putt at the 16th hole and a 33-foot birdie putt at the 17th in a five-under par 65 final round to finish 72 holes at nine-under par 271 with fellow American Tom Pernice second on 274.
The victory was Maggert's first since the 1999 World Golf Championships Match-Play Championship. His only other US PGA triumph came at the 1993 Walt Disney Classic.
Maggert, 42, birdied the first and third holes, took his only bogey at the fifth, bounced back with a birdie at the par-3 11th and made his two sensational long putts to cheers from the gallery to end his win drought.
"It has been a strange career but I have had a great career," Maggert said. "I would have bet I would have won more tournaments. I'm very fortunate I can still come out here and win at age 42.
"I've struggled a little bit. The putter has really slowed me down. Today the putter really pulled me through."
Only 15 players finished in red numbers and many in contention were unable to mount any kind of a charge on the 7,244-yard, par-70 layout.
Pernice and Tim Herron began Sunday with a share of the lead but stumbled. Pernice managed a 1-over 71 while Herron, who snapped his own seven-year skid last week at Colonial, slumped with a 77 and finished tied for 16th at even 280.
"Today was a disappointment, obviously. I didn't make any putts," Pernice said.
"You make one birdie on the final round, you're not going to win out here. So, you know, obviously Jeff had great round.
"I didn't know he went eagle, birdie at 16, 17 but that helps to put him right there."
John Cook (71) and Kris Cox (72) finished tied for third at four-under 276. Cook, Cox and Delsing were atop a crowded leaderboard midway through Sunday's round but unable to close the deal.
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