March 29, 2024

Jobe claims tight Principal Charity Classic

DES MOINES (AP) — Brandt Jobe could only laugh as he watched Scott McCarron, his old college roommate, rush up the leaderboard and threaten to steal the Principal Charity Classic out from under him.

But Jobe stayed steady and, armed with a new putter, closed out the win he had sought for nearly two decades.

Jobe won the PGA Tour Champions event Sunday by one shot, finishing at 14-under 202 for his first victory in 19 years.

Jobe shot a 69 in the final round at the Wakonda Club to snap a winless drought that had stretched back to 1998, when he took first in a tournament in Japan.

“It’s hard. You’re out here to win, and I haven’t done as good of a job as I would have liked,” Jobe said.

“This is nice. It’s a little bit of a relief.”

McCarron, who won in Iowa last year, was second at 13 under after shooting a final round 66 — the day’s best score.

Kevin Sutherland holed out for an eagle on No. 18 to join McCarron at 203.

Money leader Bernhard Langer finished at 12 under, while Scott Verplank, Tom Lehman and Steve Flesch were another shot back.

Marco Dawson and Stephen Ames finished at 207.

Jobe, who used a brand-new putter this weekend after struggling during the Senior PGA Tour, responded to his first back-nine bogey of the tournament a hole later, making birdie on No. 15 to re-take the lead.

Jobe put himself in some danger with a shaky tee shot on the par-3 17th hole, but he managed to save par.

Jobe then drilled his first shot on No. 18 straight down the fairway and watched as Sutherland’s eagle made a three-man playoff a possibility.

But Jobe two-putted from the fringe to seal the win, a fitting end to a tournament in which Jobe simply made most of the short putts he needed to make.

“For me, it lets me know that the things I’m doing are good and to keep doing them,” Jobe said.

McCarron, who graduated with Jobe from UCLA in 1988, strung together six consecutive birdies to grab a share of the lead with five holes to go.

But McCarron ran out of luck, missing birdie putts on Nos. 17 and 18 that would’ve pulled him even with Jobe.

“I hung in there,” McCarron said. “When you have one of your best friends win a golf tournament, it means a lot to (Jobe), so really proud of him.”

Langer, who was attempting to become the first senior golfer in seven years to win three consecutive starts, shot 67 on Sunday.

Langer, the circuit money leader, had five bogeys in the second round. Langer had a makeable birdie putt on No. 18, but he pulled it inches away from the hole.

“I was pleased with most of what I did,” said Langer, who posted his first top-10 finish after a pair of poor showings in Iowa. “I just didn’t quite have it in me.”