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Beckman wins Mayakoba Golf Classic
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP)—Cameron Beckman won the Mayakoba Golf Classic for his third PGA Tour title, closing with a 3-under 67 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over third-round leader Joe Durant and Brian Stuard.
The 40-year-old Beckman, three strokes behind Durant at the start of play Sunday, finished at 15-under 269 on the Mayakoba Resort’s El Camaleon course. Beckman also won the 2001 Southern Farm Bureau Classic and 2008 Frys.com Open.
“I started off well. I parred the first and birdied the next two and kind of got going a little bit,” Beckman said. “I was really uncomfortable off the tee today, and I chipped and putted really well. That’s pretty much what got the tournament won for me.”
Durant shot a 72, and Stuard had a 66. Skip Kendall (64), Richard S. Johnson (65), Briny Baird (68), Chad Collins (70) and J.P. Hayes (71) followed at 12 under.
Beckman bogeyed the sixth, got the stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 eighth and added birdies on 13 and 17 before closing with a par.
“There’s something about, you know, I’m cruising along playing, and all of a sudden I know I’m tied for the lead,” Beckman said. “That makes you nervous. Now you know you got a chance to win and you really got to tighten up and concentrate. You know, a lot of things go through your mind. Winning out here is tough. There’s really no easy way do it. I’ve done it a couple different ways now, but it’s a great feeling.”
He admitted he was uneasy on the 18th tee.
“I was really nervous,” Beckman said. “I hadn’t driven the ball all that good the whole all day. You can get in trouble on that tee. I still felt like the two guys behind playing me could birdie the last two holes, also. Looking back now, I could have made bogey and still won, but fortunately I had a good tee shot and pitching wedge into the green, and kind of eked my putt up there and tapped it in.”
What was the key to the victory?
“Without question, putting,” Beckman said. “I mean, I hit the ball well, also, but this is probably the best I’ve putted in a long time. Probably since the last time I won. I just put a new putter in play two weeks ago, and just absolutely putted beautifully on these greens. … Just a beautiful week of putting.”
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP)—Cameron Beckman won the Mayakoba Golf Classic for his third PGA Tour title, closing with a 3-under 67 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over third-round leader Joe Durant and Brian Stuard.
The 40-year-old Beckman, three strokes behind Durant at the start of play Sunday, finished at 15-under 269 on the Mayakoba Resort’s El Camaleon course. Beckman also won the 2001 Southern Farm Bureau Classic and 2008 Frys.com Open.
“I started off well. I parred the first and birdied the next two and kind of got going a little bit,” Beckman said. “I was really uncomfortable off the tee today, and I chipped and putted really well. That’s pretty much what got the tournament won for me.”
Durant shot a 72, and Stuard had a 66. Skip Kendall (64), Richard S. Johnson (65), Briny Baird (68), Chad Collins (70) and J.P. Hayes (71) followed at 12 under.
Beckman bogeyed the sixth, got the stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 eighth and added birdies on 13 and 17 before closing with a par.
“There’s something about, you know, I’m cruising along playing, and all of a sudden I know I’m tied for the lead,” Beckman said. “That makes you nervous. Now you know you got a chance to win and you really got to tighten up and concentrate. You know, a lot of things go through your mind. Winning out here is tough. There’s really no easy way do it. I’ve done it a couple different ways now, but it’s a great feeling.”
He admitted he was uneasy on the 18th tee.
“I was really nervous,” Beckman said. “I hadn’t driven the ball all that good the whole all day. You can get in trouble on that tee. I still felt like the two guys behind playing me could birdie the last two holes, also. Looking back now, I could have made bogey and still won, but fortunately I had a good tee shot and pitching wedge into the green, and kind of eked my putt up there and tapped it in.”
What was the key to the victory?
“Without question, putting,” Beckman said. “I mean, I hit the ball well, also, but this is probably the best I’ve putted in a long time. Probably since the last time I won. I just put a new putter in play two weeks ago, and just absolutely putted beautifully on these greens. … Just a beautiful week of putting.”