Madigan Captures Players Cup

Three feet.

It's really not that far - unless you've got a putter in your hand and you're trying to win a golf tournament.

On a cold, wet and windy Sunday afternoon at Pine Ridge – a three foot putt was all that stood in the way of Timothy Madigan capturing the Players Cup.

Without over analyzing the situation, the 25-year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico calmly stepped up and rolled in his par putt and became a PGA Tour Canada champion.

“Making that three-footer which is what I practice - that's why I practice it – is to be in that moment, have that chance to win,” said Madigan who more impressively rolled his 75-foot lag putt almost into tap-in range. “I let it slip away from me in Victoria and I definitely wasn't going to allow that to happen again.

Madigan, who tied for second in Victoria and finished third in Fort McMurray, fired an final round even par 71 and finished with a 72-hole total of nine-under par 275 which was one shot better than Matt Hill of Sarnia and Ricky McDonald of Pauleys Island, South Carolina.

“It's an honour,” commented the 2014 Players Cup champion who received the first place cheque of $27,000. “An absolute honour, a privilege beyond any words. To be a winner on PGA Tour Canada, I mean, I dreamt about it. Did I think it would happen in my rookie year – probably not. I knew it was possible but it's just a privilege. It really is.”

Clark Klaasen of Grand Rapids was alone in fourth place at minus six.

Klaasen and Hill had the low round of the day as both were four-under par 67.

Ryan Yip of Calgary, Jay Myers of San Jose and Josh Persons of Fargo tied for fifth place at minus five.

Erik Barnes of Cape Coral, Florida, who opened with an eight-under par 63 back on Thursday and still held onto the lead after a one-under par 70 on Friday, went 75 & 74 on the weekend and finished tied for 16th at 282.

Reigning Manitoba junior champion Travis Fredborg of Selkirk, the only amateur to make the cut, was nine-over par 80 on Sunday and finished the tournament at 19-over par 303.