Lunde wins, Sim third at Turning Stone
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Turning Stone Resort Championship | Round Four | 09 Aug 2010
Bill Lunde has won his first PGA Tour title with a narrow one shot win at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Vernon in New York. Lunde, who despite being 34 years of age, is playing in just his second full season on the PGA Tour and prior to this week was struggling to retain his playing privileges.
Lunde finished only just inside the cut line on Friday evening but stormed home over the weekend with rounds of 64 and 66 to edge out J.J. Henry by one with a further shot back to a group of five players who finished two from the lead. That group included Michael Sim, Jerry Kelly, Josh Teater, Billy Mayfair and early leader, Alex Cejka.
Lunde joined the PGA Tour in 2009 after a stellar season on the Nationwide Tour in 2008 when he finished 5th on the money list. He did well enough in 2009 to retain his playing credentials for 2010 but leading into this week he was 162nd on the money list and under threat. It matters little now as this win gives him job security in the foreseeable future.
Henry has given signs in recent weeks that his game was coming around but his final round of 63 today was something very special. He improved 30 places with his round of 63 and set the mark for Lunde to beat. He had to wait three hours to see if it was good enough. It was not but it went very close.
West Australian Michael Sim struggled with injury earlier in the season, forcing him to withdraw from what would have been his debut at the Masters. He has generally struggled since but he is too talented to be held down for long and his performance to share third this week is more in keeping with that stunning season on the Nationwide Tour in 2009 where he set a money winning record.
His runner up finish at Torrey Pines earlier this year and now this good tournament this week should be enough to secure his return to the PGA Tour in 2010.
Steve Elkington was 10th, Aron Price 48th, Mathew Goggin and Cameron Percy 52nd, Nathan Green and Rod Pampling 58th, James Nitties 66th and John Senden 71st.
The PGA Tour will now head to Whistling Straits for the PGA Championship.
