Stuart Anderson
Stuart Anderson won his second Canadian Tour Championship in five years on Sunday, defeating fellow Canadian Richard Scott in a playoff at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont.
The 33-year-old Anderson drained a 25-foot par putt on the second playoff hole to claim the title. He had a chance to win on the first extra hole but missed a 16-inch putt.
Anderson of Sooke, B.C., fired a six-under-par 65 on Sunday to catch third-round co-leader Scott, who shot 67. They both finished regulation at 21-under 263.
"It feels wonderful to win this championship again," said Anderson, who won the inaugural Tour Championship in 2006. "I love playing this game and I hope I can play it for a living for the rest of my life."
He earned $32,000 for the victory, his fourth on the developmental tour, and moved to No. 5 on its 2011 money list.
The Tour Championship is the circuit's flagship event and final domestic stop of the season. The only remaining stroke-play event on the 2011 calendar is the Desert Dunes Classic in California in early November.
Scott of nearby Kingsville, Ont., held the lead for most of the round after starting out with three consecutive birdies, but Anderson drew level when he sank a 70-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole. It was his fourth birdie on the back nine.
Scott wasn't able to move back into the lead after posting pars on his final three holes. The third round co-leader went on to bogey both playoff holes, disappointing many of the Windsor fans that were cheering loudly for the hometown favourite.
Scott took home just over $19,000.
"Overall I'm happy with how I played. I shot 21-under-par and it was a solid showing," said Scott, a three-time Canadian Amateur champion who grew up 45 minutes from downtown Windsor. "It never ceases to amaze me how supportive the Windsor area fans are to me and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart."
American Garrett Sapp finished alone in third place at 19 under.
Canada's top-ranked golfer, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 14th place at 12 under.
Jose de Jesus Rodriguez of Mexico tied for 62nd but stayed atop the money list. Hugo Leon of Chile shared 29th and remained in second.
As a reward, they both now get to bypass the first stage of the PGA Tour's qualifying school this fall.
Leon also collected a bursary cheque of $5,000 for being the top international player in the tournaments held on Canadian soil. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Dustin Risdon of Carseland, Alta., shared the bonus in the Canadian division.
With a report from cantour.com