SS CHRISTIAN, Miss. -- Joel Edwards fired a final-round 69 to come from behind
and win the $250,000 Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Open at The Oaks Golf Club.
Edwards, who started the day two strokes behind the leader, finished the
Tournament at 8-under-par 280 and collected his first Nike Tour victory in 20
career starts. He played on the PGA Tour in 1989-91 and 1993-97 and was a member
of the Nike Tour in 1992. His best finish on the Nike Tour this year prior to
Sunday was a fourth-place finish at the Nike
Florida Classic.
Edwards, who collected $45,000 for his win, opened
the day with a 4-under-par 32 on the front to get to 9-under-par and held on down
the stretch to finish the day with a 3-under-par 69. The Texas native won by one
stoke over John Riegger.
Riegger, who closed with a 68, finished the
72-hole Tournament at 7-under-par 281. He put the pressure on Edwards when he
recorded a 3-under par 33 on the back side, with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18. Edwards
parred the 18th hole to secure the win.
“This is the biggest win of my
career,” said Edwards. “I had a chance to win in each of the first three Tournaments,
but I couldn’t finish it off. It feels great to get this win.
“I knew
going into the day that the conditions were going to be tough,” continued Edwards.
“I thought I did a great job coming in, especially with the cold and windy weather.”
Finishing alone in third place was third-round leader Kevin Johnson. Johnson,
who won the 1997 Nike Puget Sound Open in a playoff, shot a 2-over-par 74 for
a 5-under-par 283 total.
Shane Supple (69), Mike Heinen (70), Joe Daley
(71), Kelly Gibson (72) and Brad Elder (75) finished the Tournament tied for fourth
place with a 3-under-par 285 total.
Glen Hnatiuk, winner of three Nike
Tour Tournaments during his career, tied for ninth at 2-under par with Mike Grob
and Ryan Howison, winner of the Nike
Lakeland Classic earlier this year.
Hnatiuk fired a 4-under-par
68 in the final round, joining Riegger with the low round of the day. Grob, whose
best Nike Tour career finish prior to Sunday was a tie for 35th at the 1999 Nike
Lakeland Classic, carded a 1-under-par 71. Howison finished the day with a 2-over-par
74.
The 430-yard, par-4 13th hole at The Oaks Golf Course is the toughest
hole so far this year on the Nike Tour, playing to a stroke average of 4.468.
For the week, there were only 23 birdies recorded, compared to 115 bogeys and
27 double bogeys.
In addition, the 445-yard, par-4 second hole at the
Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Open is the second toughest hole on the Nike Tour
this year, playing to a stroke average of 4.370. The 442-yard, par-4, 18th hole,
which played to a stroke average of 4.352, is the third toughest hole.
The Nike Tour’s next stop is the $275,000 Nike Monterrey Open, which will be played
March 18-21 at Club Campestre in Monterrey, Mexico.
