Uresti earns first Nationwide Tour win since 1994
LIVERMORE, Calif. -- Omar Uresti won his first Nationwide Tour title in 13 years, closing with a 4-over 76 on Sunday in windy and fast conditions for a two-stroke victory in the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship.
1. Kimbell (-10) |
The 38-year-old Texan, also the winner of the tour's 1994 Shreveport Open, had an even-par 288 total on The Course at Wente Vineyards.
He became the second player in Nationwide Tour history to win an event at par or higher. Roger Salazar won the 1991 South Texas Open at 3 over.
"I guess playing in six U.S. Opens taught me how to be patient," said Uresti, who earned $112,500. "Playing in a U.S. Open is not much fun ... but I guess I've got something to thank them for."
Skip Kendall, coming off a victory last week in the Louisiana Open, shot a 74 to tie for second with Aron Price (73) at 2 over.
India's Arjun Atwal, making his first tournament start since he was involved in a fatal car accident in Florida on March 10, shot a 76 to tie for sixth at 4 over.
Uresti, four strokes ahead entering the round, bogeyed three of his first seven holes, and followed with 10 straight pars before a making a double bogey on the 18th.
"After making bogey on two of the first three holes it was like, 'Now you've got to play some golf,"' Uresti said. "I hit so many shots and executed just like I wanted ... it got frustrating because they kept rolling off the green."
A week after Kendall set the tour record for time between victories at 12 years, 8 months, 27 days, Uresti broke the mark at 12 years, 11 months, 8 days.
"Has it been that long?" Uresti asked. "You start wondering if you'll do it again. But I was able to win on the Canadian Tour a couple of years ago. I also finished tied for third last year at the Byron Nelson Championship. So I had something to draw from."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
