Martin finished two behind Ryan Moore’s final total, but with him being a further three shots clear of the likes of Whee Kim and Morgan Hoffmann in a tie for third, if he wasn’t going to catch the frontrunner nobody was.
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Moore hit 13 of 14 fairways in the final round and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, including the 18th, which he two-putted from 47 feet for the victory.
Moore wasn’t fazed by birdie binges from Morgan Hoffmann and Martin during a long Saturday, one in which many of the players – Moore included – had to play almost two rounds after numerous rain delays wreaked havoc with the tournament schedule. I think that was 34 holes I played today.
“It was important to show the guys behind me that I’m not here to mess around, that I was here to play, ” said Moore.
“The worst thing you can do on a day like today is just come out and make a bogey early, make a few pars in a row or be even or 1-over after five or six holes”, Moore said. “I like how steady this was, with no bogeys on the weekend”.
Runner-up Ben Martin tried to make a run with three consecutive birdies on the back nine but fell short with a 68 in the fourth round.
“I made a good one on the first hole, and you just kind of see them going in and just kind of ride that momentum throughout the round”.
He earned an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour after his third Web.com Tour win a week ago Sunday.
NCAA champion Aaron Wise followed his third-round 63 with a 70 to tie for 16th at 12 under in his PGA Tour debut as a pro. The former OR player won a PGA Tour Canada event two weeks ago in Edmonton, Alberta.
Steve Stricker had a 72 to tie for 52nd at 6 under. The 49-year-old Stricker, a former University of IL player from Wisconsin, won the event in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The 2012 tournament victor and two-time major champion is from nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Both missed the cut in their two previous US Tour outings (Canadian Open and Travelers Championship) and both missed the cut in their last visit to TPC Deere Run.
Martin’s 62 tied his best round on the PGA Tour.
Hoffman also kept himself firmly in the running with an impressive run of six birdies in succession from the 11th hole.
The Clemson alum and Greenville resident not only erased the tension of reaching the postseason with just one regular-season event remaining, he posted the second-best finish of his 105 career starts on the PGA Tour.
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Moore is a player who has made a fortune from seeing off weak opposition at low-grade US Tour gatherings like this one.
