It took until the third playoff hole at Bear Mountain Golf Resort’s Mountain Course for Colin Montgomerie to get the better of Scott McCarron on Sunday and capture the first ever PGA Tour Champions event in Langford, the Pacific Links Championship.
The steady Scotsman carded a birdie 4 in his fourth attempt playing the 18th hole on the day and in doing so pocketed the winner’s cheque of $375,000.
Montgomerie was sitting in third at 131 heading into the final round, three strokes back of first- and second-round leader McCarron, but the two sat tied for the lead after 16 holes. With Montgomerie bogeying 17, McCarron had a chance to win on 18, but missed his par putt.
The day also belonged to colourful, cigar-chomping Miguel Angel Jimenez, who lowered the course record to 61 with a spectacular round that shot him up to a four-way tie for third place overall with Scott Dunlap, Jeff Sluman and Doug Garwood at 13-under. His performance eclipsed the record 62 shot by McCarron in the opening round on Friday.
Top Canadians included Rod Spittle, whose 6-under 65 Sunday included birdies on 10, 11 and 12 and left him in a tie for 38th place at 209; and Victoria’s Jim Rutledge, who shot 3-under 68 to finish a stroke back in a tie for 41st.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com