PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Web.com Tour Finals-ending Web.Com Tour Championship.
The 23-year-old Grillo beat Chez Reavie by a stroke in the last of the four events that replaced PGA Tour qualifying school, finishing with a 1-under 69 for a 14-under 266 total on TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course. Reavie had a chance to force a playoff, but missed a 15-foot birdie putt. He shot a 68.
The series featured the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings and non-members such as Grillo who earned enough money to have placed in the top 200 had they been eligible. The top 25 players on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They were competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players were competing for 25 cards based on series earnings.
Grillo earned $180,000 for the victory to finish second on the series money list with $283,667. He lost a playoff in March in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open.
Reavie, the winner of the second event in the series, made $108,000 to top the list with $323,067. The 2008 Canadian Open winner finished 166th in the FedEx Cup.
Reavie and Patton Kizzire, the Web.com Tour’s combined money leader with $518,241, earned full tour exemptions and spots in the Players Championship. Kizzire closed with a 67 to tie for fifth at 10 under.
Sam Saunders was third at 12 under after a 67. Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, was sixth on the series list with $114,950 after finishing 137th in the FedEx Cup.
Australia’s Rhein Gibson was another stroke back after a 65. He was 10th on the series list with $81,943 after finishing 33rd on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list.
Kyle Stanley (68) and South Africans Thomas Aiken (65) and Tyrone Van Aswegen (68) also tied for fifth. Stanley finsihed 11th on the money list with $81,875, Van Aswegen was 17th at $49,637, and Aiken 23rd at $35,125.
Rob Oppenheim took the 25th and final card with $32,206, edging Eric Axley by $101. Oppenheim finished with a 67 to tie for seventh at 7 under and earn $19,000. Axley, 25th last year, missed the cut.
Henrik Norlander was third on the money list with $215,743, followed by Andrew Loupe at $195,405. The each won events in the series.
Roberto Castro also earned a card along with Michael Thompson, Tom Hoge, Brett Stegmaier, Hiroshi Iwata, Ricky Barnes, Lucas Glover, Derek Fathauer, Anirban Lahiri, Mark Hubbard, Robert Garrigus, Tim Wilkinson Derek Ernst, Luke List and Brian Davis.