RICHMOND, Va. – Justin Leonard stayed patient with his performance on a windy Sunday, watching it pay off big with a birdie-par-eagle that finished for a 4-under 68 and a one-shot win over Ernie Els in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.
Leonard won the PGA Tour Champions for the second time this year and reached the top 10 after the first Charles Schwab Cup playoff event.
The top 54 will advance to the second postseason event next week in Arkansas.
Els was in control on the back nine of the Country Club of Virginia’s James River course and seemed to steady himself with birdies at the reachable par-4 15th and the par-5 16th.
But he made bogey on the 17th when Leonard made his move. After a birdie on the 16th, Leonard hit a hybrid 4-iron to about 20 feet and drilled the downhill eagle putt to post at 12-under 204.
Els failed to make a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole, which would have forced a playoff. He finished with a 72 and shared second place with Thomas Bjorn (68).
Bernhard Langer, the 68-year-old German who has won the PGA Tour Champions every year since he was 50, was within two shots of the lead until a long three-putt bogey ended his hopes. He shot 72 to finish three back in his bid to win the year’s first championship.
Scott Parel scored a 71 to finish tied for 21st, moving up three spots to No. 53 to advance to the Simmons Bank Championship next week. David Bransdon dropped out.
The top 36 will reach the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup championship after next week.
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