McNeill Thrives,
Revives in Puerto Rico
RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO | George McNeill
birdied the final three holes to not only win the
Puerto Rico Open on Sunday, but at the same
time resurrect his career. McNeill’s late-day
rally took the title by two shots over Japan’s
Ryo Ishikawa.
McNeill, 36, had won only once on the PGA
Tour, the 2007 Frys.com Open. In the meantime, he languished in the middle of the Tour
pack, falling out of the top 125 in earnings in
2009 for the first time since joining the Tour in
2006, where he was the medalist at the Tour’s
Qualifying Tournament.
At the Puerto Rico Open, he finished 72
holes at 16-under 272 at the Trump International Golf Club and took home $630,000.
McNeill posted rounds of 66-70-67-69 at the
par-72 course. The victory
will not get McNeill a
Masters invitation, be-
cause the tournament
is an opposite-field
event on the PGA
Tour schedule.
But it will get
him a two-year
exemption.
McNeill
started the fi-
nal round one
shot clear
of Henrik
Stenson, then
found himself
in a four-way George McNeill
tie for the lead at 13 under with four holes to
play. But he pulled away from Ishikawa and two
others with birdies at the par- 3 16th, the par- 4
17th and the par- 5 18th to take the title.
Ishikawa got into the conversation when he
birdied three of his final four holes, including
the 17th and 18th. It was the best PGA Tour
finish for the 20-year-old, who earned enough
money Sunday to receive a Special Temporary
Membership on the PGA Tour.
Ishikawa shot a final-round 68 for a four-day
total of 14-under 274.
McNeill showed no signs that he might be
threatening to win this season. He made four of
six cuts prior to Puerto Rico and his best finish
was a tie for 19th at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
But at Puerto Rico, he took the 54-hole lead
from Matt Jones, who led after two rounds.
Boo Weekley came out of the pack with a fi-nal-day, 6-under 66 to tie for third with Stenson
at 13-under 275. It was Weekley’s best finish in
more than a year.
He lost his playing privileges in 2011 and
failed to regain his card at the Qualifying Tournament in December. He had played in only four
events prior to Puerto Rico and made just two
cuts. His best finish was a T71 at the Mayakoba
Golf Classic.
Stenson, who has not won on the PGA Tour
since his victory in the 2009 Players Championship, could only manage a 1-under 71 on the
final day and never threatened the lead.
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