.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Former Golfer Wins Nationwide Tour Event
2/9/2009 | Men's Golf
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA -- Former Ole Miss golfer Vance Veazey won the Nationwide Tour's Panama Digicel Championship in Panama City, Panama Sunday. Veazey defeated Garrett Willis on the second playoff hole to earn the $108,000 winner's paycheck at the first event of the Nationwide Tour's 20th season.
Veazey began the day with a one-stroke lead and posted a 2-under 33 on the front-nine to lead by three strokes at the turn over Len Mattiace and Henrik Bjornstad.
Meanwhile, Willis, who started the day at 3-under and three shots behind Veazey, was quietly making a run at the leader. After playing the first 12 holes at even par, Willis birdied four of his last six holes, including the 18th, which got him to 7-under and sole possession of the lead.
Veazey then dropped a shot on the 14th hole to fall one back of Willis.
"I didn't realize that I was behind by a stroke until I got to the 17th hole and realized I had to make birdie to have a chance to win," Veazey said after the round. "Coincidentally, I was in the same situation on the same hole in final round when I won here in 2005."
That year, Veazey was in a five-way tie for the lead and birdied 17 to take the lead and go on to win.
Veazey's tee shot on 18 found the right side of the fairway with 116 yards remaining to the flagstick. With the tournament on the line, he knocked a 54-degree wedge to eight feet right of the pin on the top shelf of the two-tiered green.
Left with a relatively flat putt, Veazey backed off as he readied to take his stroke, distracted by the movement of a photographer behind him. He then re-approached the ball and coolly made the putt in front of a standing-room only gallery to force the first playoff in tournament history.
Adam Wallace, Communications for the PGA Tour, contributed to this story.
