Despite failing to keep his PGA Tour card the last two years, Olin Browne never doubted he could still compete with the best players.
Now he has a victory to show for it, closing with a 4-under 67 on Monday to win the Deutsche Bank Classic at Norton, Mass.
Browne emerged from a five-way tie for the lead to build a three-shot advantage on the back nine.
And with Jason Bohn closing fast, he holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to restore his cushion.
Bohn needed an eagle on the par-5 18th to force a playoff, but his fairway metal from the right rough sailed to the right of the green, and his chip never had a chance. Bohn settled for a birdie to finish one shot behind.
“It’s been so long,” said Browne, who hadn’t won since the 1999 Colonial. “I’m speechless.”
Browne finished at 14-under 270 and earned $990,000, more than he had made in any of his 11 previous years on the PGA Tour. More importantly, it gave the 46-year-old a two-year exemption on tour.
– Organizers of the Solheim Cup being played in Carmel, Ind., plan to sell 3,000 additional tickets for Sunday’s final day as a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina victims.
