Rory Sabbatini completed a surprise Sunday push with an eagle and three birdies in his final four holes to win the Stifel Charity Classic, the first leg of the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup playoffs, at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis.
Sabbatini, a South African native who competes under the flag of Slovakia, posted a 9-under-par 62 to rocket up to 14-under 199 for the week. His long birdie putt at No. 18 put him one ahead of Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke (65), who wound up placing second.
It was Sabbatini’s first win on the PGA Tour Champions after he turned 50 and qualified for the circuit earlier this year.
“Obviously, doesn’t matter what level you play at, winning’s never easy,” Sabbatini said on the Golf Channel broadcast. “It’s very special. Obviously being out here and being a first-time winner out here, it’s beyond words.”
Adorned in a St. Louis Blues’ cap, Sabbatini started the day four behind leaders Mario Tiziani and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson. He birdied the first hole before recording the first of his two eagles on the day at the par-5 second.
However, he recorded two bogeys along with two more birdies the rest of the front nine and made the turn still four off the pace. After a birdie-bogey-birdie stretch at Nos. 11-13, he chipped in from the rough for eagle at the par-5 15th.
That ignited Sabbatini’s closing run. His birdie at No. 16 tied him with Stenson and Clarke atop the leaderboard, and he stuck his approach at the par-4 17th just a few feet from the hole for the go-ahead birdie.
Clarke tied him for the lead at 13 under by birdieing No. 16, but Sabbatini proceeded to sink a lengthy, downhill birdie putt at No. 18 with perfect speed.
“Ironically enough, when I was on 15 before I even putted on that hole, I looked up at the scoreboard and I was like, ‘OK, I’m only three back,’ then it changed straight away and I was four back again. I was like, ‘OK, need something amazing to happen.’ Well, I guess the fireworks happened.
“Thankful to (playing partner Vaughn Taylor), he hit such a great putt on 18, gave me a perfect read.”
New Zealand’s Steven Alker (66), Stenson (68) and Tiziani (68) tied for third at 12 under.
Sabbatini launched from No. 23 in the Schwab Cup points race to a projected seventh place, while Clarke will move up three spots to No. 9. Seventy-two players qualified for the three-leg playoffs, with only the top 54 advancing to next week’s Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, Ark.
Stenson began the week on the outside looking in at No. 56, but he is projected to make the field next week in 41st place. Justin Leonard (T37 in St. Louis) slipped from No. 52 to the 54th and final berth, while Chad Campbell (64th) dropped five spots and was the first man out.
Stewart Cink remains No. 1 in the Schwab Cup standings after posting a 68 Sunday and tying for 24th at 5 under. Zach Johnson is in second place and Alker hung onto third.