MILTON, Fla. -- Tom Jenkins won his first Champions Tour victory of the year and fifth of his career by five strokes over Rodger Davis with an 7-under 63 final round Sunday at the Blue Angels Classic.
Jenkins, the eighth winner in as many tour events this year, finished with a 14-under 196. Davis was at 201 while Gil Morgan, Jim Ahern, Wayne Levi tied for third another stroke back at 202.
The tournament’s namesakes, the Navy’s Blue Angels, roared over The Moors Golf Club in tight formation minutes after play ended. The six-jet precision flying team is based at nearby Pensacola Naval Air Station.
Jenkins’ winnings include a trophy depicting a Blue Angels jet, $225,000 in prize money and an invitation to ride in the back seat of the one of the team’s F/A-18 Hornets.
Morgan was the second-round leader and started the day a stroke ahead of Jenkins, who immediately caught up with a birdie on the par-4, 406-yard first hole. Morgan bogeyed the next hole to cede a one-stroke lead to Jenkins, who made par.
Once ahead, Jenkins never gave up the lead. He birdied four of the next seven holes while Morgan continued to shoot even par. Only a bogey on the par-4, 426-yard 6th hole marred Jenkins’ surge. He took a four-stroke lead over Morgan going into the back nine.
Morgan, the tour’s money leader, made only one birdie and finished with even par 70 for the day. Morgan, who won here in 2000, was bidding to become the first multiple winner on the tour this year. He won the SBC Classic last month.
Davis, who started the final round tied for fifth, four strokes behind Morgan, shot a 5-under 65 for the day, including five birdies on the back nine.
The tournament, called the Emerald Coast Classic until renamed after last year’s event, has never had a repeat champion in its 10 years.
Defending champion Bob Gilder got off to a good start, a stroke back of first-round leader Fuzzy Zoeller, but he faded to an even-par 210 finish. Zoeller finished with a 204.
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