Heath Slocum gains two shot win

Heath Slocum still considers himself at least partly a Mississippian.

The son of a longtime Mississippi club pro gave the hurricane-weary region a good show in winning the PGA Tour's only stop in the Magnolia State.

With his dad serving as his caddie, Slocum shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic.

Played with a backdrop of Hurricane Katrina's devastation -- net proceeds from the event are earmarked for storm victims -- the tournament carried deep sentimental value for the 31-year-old player with strong local ties.

``This area, it's so resilient. They keep coming back,'' Slocum said. ``The area's starving for a way to get out of (Katrina's aftermath) just for a little while and enjoy some golf and just have a good time. I'm just happy as I can to be a part of it.''

His dad played a big part, too.

Jack Slocum, a former club pro who could never do what his son did -- win this tournament -- carried his clubs and peppered him with four days worth of encouragement.

``Hearing that same voice that I've heard all my life, `Commit to this, stay still,' it was nice,'' Heath Slocum said. ``It was special just to have him on the bag, and with us being from around this area, it was just a special week.''

Slocum finished at 21-under 267 on the Annandale Golf Club course.

Slocum and 50-year-old Loren Roberts were tied at 20 under entering the 17th hole. Slocum hit his second shot 9 feet from the pin to set up a birdie on the par-4, 413-yard hole.

``I picked a target, I committed to that target and I made a good swing,'' Slocum said.

Roberts made a bogey after hitting his drive into the water.

``Really, the only bad shot I hit the whole week was the tee shot at 17,'' Roberts said. ``I hit a poor shot. That's my fault.''

Slocum closed his bogey-free round with a par on No. 18. After he made his final 2-foot putt, he thrust a fist and his putter into the air, let out a scream and hugged his father.

Slocum's only other victory came last year in the Chrysler Classic of Tucson. The win at Annandale was worth $540,000 and helped him jump 17 spots to 50th on the money list with $1,606,185.

He made 17 cuts in his final 18 tournaments, and the SFB Classic was his fourth top-10 finish in that span.

Roberts (68) and Carl Pettersson (67) finished two strokes back. Joey Snyder III, a rookie who led after three rounds, had a 70 and finish fourth at 18 under.

Slocum finally became a winner in his fifth try at Annandale. In four prior attempts, his best finish came in 2004 when he was 18th.

Katrina gave the tournament added meaning for Slocum, who grew up 55 miles from Madison in the Mississippi River city of Vicksburg. His father was the head pro at a course in nearby Bovina.

``I'm definitely part Mississippi, part Louisiana and part Florida,'' said Slocum, who lives in Pensacola, Fla.

Jack Slocum played in the event nine times, making four cuts but never finishing higher than a tie for 26th in 1983.

``He trusts me enough,'' Heath Slocum said. ``All he was there for was the support.''

This time, the son had plenty of company atop the leaderboard for much of the final round; three other players -- Roberts, Pettersson and Snyder -- were at 20 under.

Snyder had a bogey on No. 14 to fall off the pace, and finished his round with another bogey on 18.

Pettersson was in the mix before he had a bogey on No. 16 and finished 19 under. He was seeking his second straight victory after winning the Chrysler Championship.

Still, his strong week earned him a spot in the Masters next spring.

``I had a nice week last week, and I'm thrilled,'' Pettersson said. ``It's been a lifelong dream to play in the Masters, and I look forward to going there.''

Pettersson, who earned $264,000, finished 27th on the money list with $1,993,851. He began the week ranked 43rd.

The SFB Classic was the last chance for players to finish in the top 40 to get into the Masters, the top 125 to secure tour cards for next year and the top 150 to get a pass to final stage of Q-school.

Roberts also earned $264,000 and improved 33 spots on the money list to 93rd with $874,330. Roberts, who reached his goal of cracking the top 125, earned a spot in The Players Championship next year.

``I just want to see how I'm feeling and see how I'm playing,'' said Roberts, who won the Jeld-Wen Tradition this summer on the Champions Tour.

Briny Baird fell out of the top 125 after shooting a 70 to slip one spot behind Nick Price. Baird said he plans to return to Q-school.

``I had plenty of chances this year to play well,'' Baird said. ``I'm disappointed with my play for the entire year. I'm not disappointed with my play this week.''

Kevin Stadler shot a 73 and stayed at 168th on the money list. Frustrated after a difficult final round, Stadler walked off the 18th green and threw his putter into a trash can.

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