McRoy gains narrow win

Spike McRoy saved his best for last, shooting a final-round 68 to win the $500,000 BUY.COM Dakota Dunes Open by one stroke over Mike Schuchart (68-271).

McRoy finished at 18-under-par 270 and collected $90,000, the biggest check in the 11-year history of the BUY.COM TOUR. Mike Emery (67), Garrett Willis (67) and Jeff Hart (69) tied for third, two strokes behind McRoy. John Elliott (70) and Sonny Skinner (70) were four off the pace.

McRoy began the final round in a three-way tie with David Berganio (73-275) and Brad Ball (75-277), but with 25 others within five strokes of the lead.

McRoy stepped to the 18th tee not knowing exactly where he stood on the leaderboard. "I told my caddie that if I needed to make birdie, now would be a really good time to tell me. If I didn't --don't say anything," said McRoy. "He just kept walking and I thought things were fine."

McRoy held a two-stroke advantage, which shrunk to one when Schuchart birdied the par-5 closing hole right in front of McRoy, who played it as a three-shot hole, two-putting from 25 feet for the win.

"That putt at 18, I was nervous. I was shaking like a leaf," admitted McRoy, who needed a knee-knocking three-footer for par and the win. "I was trying to make bogey, but these people have seen enough golf this week. It went in and here I sit."

With the field making a run at the leaders, McRoy started poorly with a duck-hook tee shot off No. 1. "I kept thinking about all of the patience I've had out here this week," he said. "I felt so comfortable out there."

The University of Alabama graduate settled his nerves and parred the first three holes before finally adding back-to-back birdies. Then came disaster in the form of a double-bogey on the par-4 sixth which included a three-putt from about 85 feet.

"That actually may have helped me," he said of his 6. "I'll make double bogeys but I hate to three-putt. That's the one thing that really irritates me."

McRoy turned the negative into a positive when he rolled in back-to-back birdies on the following two holes to head back in the right direction.

McRoy needed only 27 putts to negotiate the Dakota Dunes Country Club course. He required 33 to shoot the same 4-under 68 on Saturday and join the leaders.

"I played four good rounds this week," said McRoy, who opened with a pair of 67s. "I have to say I grinded it out a little bit harder today. I played some good golf but I was due."

The tournament may have been won on the par-4 15th when McRoy "saved par from the cabbage" to the right of the green. His flop shot from 40 yards landed perfectly and rolled to within a foot of the cup. Meantime, his playing partner Berganio made bogey to drop to 16 under, two back.

"That was the golf tournament right there," said McRoy.

Up ahead, none of the others mounted a serious charge, though Schuchart did his best to excite the many who had driven up from Lincoln, Neb., to cheer him on. A three-time winner on TOUR, Schuchart had not made a cut in nearly four years.

"I'm about as happy as I could be," he said. "There is nothing disappointing about this round. Sure, you can think of a shot here or a shot there, but everyone can."

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page