It took Jimmy Walker 188 starts on the PGA Tour to pick up his first win at the Frys.com Open, but it only took him five more tournaments to garner the second win of his career.
Walker finished No. 26 in the FedEx Cup standings in 2013 with five top-10 finishes and earned $2.1 million. In just six starts this year, he has two wins and three top-10 finishes. He has already surpassed last year’s total earnings with $2.4 million and leads the FedEx Cup points race.
As well as posting the low round of the day, he has not missed a cut this season and is earning $100,000 for every 18-hole round played over his last six starts.
Walker began the final round on Sunday at 10-under par and two shots behind the leader Chris Kirk. Two birdies on the front side along with five birdies on the back nine added up to a seven-under par 63. The 17 under-par total gave him a one-shot win and the $1 million first-place check.
Kirk, who finished runner-up, posted a solid four-under par 66, but could not stay ahead of Walker.
Walker has long had one of the best swings on tour and the confidence he received from winning at the Frys.com last fall is making him the biggest winner on tour thus far in 2014.
2002 Sony Open champion, Jerry Kelly gave chase with seven birdies in the final round. Bogeys at Nos. 1 and 14, however, left him at 15-under par and alone in third place.
Harris English held the lead after 14 holes, but a bogey at No. 15 followed by pars at the remaining three holes left him four shots back at 14-under par and solo fourth.
Australia’s Marc Leishman shot a final round five-under par and moved up three spots to finish in the fifth spot.
Brian Stuard was sixth and Jeff Overton finished seventh.
A group including, Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott, Charles Howell, Kevin Na, Matt Every, Hudson Swofford, Ryan Palmer, Zach Johnson, Hideto Tanihara, Retief Goosen, Pat Perez and Will Wilcox all finished at 10-under par and tied for the eighth position.
The PGA Tour next moves to the mainland for the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California. Brian Gay is the defending champion.