Tidland wins Wichita by one stroke
WICHITA, Kan. -- Chris Tidland made a 20-foot eagle putt on the final hole Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Dave Schultz and Chad Collins in the Wichita Open.
Wichita Open Leaderboard
1. Tidland (-16)
T-2. Collins (-15)
T-2. Schultz (-15)
T-4. Taylor (-13)
T-4. Vegas (-13)
6. Claxton (-12)
• Complete scores
Tidland, the 36-year-old former Oklahoma State player who won the 2008 Boise Open for his only other Nationwide Tour title, closed with a 6-under 65 for a 16-under 268 total on the Crestview Country Club course.
He hit a hybrid from 250 yards on the 520-yard, par-5 18th hole, then checked the leaderboard for the first time.
"I asked my caddie after I hit my second shot there," Tidland said. "I did the same thing in Boise last year when I won. I figured I'd better find out if I needed to make that putt or it didn't matter. I'm not a scoreboard watcher my game keeps me busy enough that I don't need any other distractions."
Tidland earned $99,000 to jump from ninth to second on the money list with $293,680, with the top 25 at the end of the season earning 2010 PGA Tour cards. He has two second-place finishes this year, including a playoff loss in Fort Smith, Ark.
Schultz shot a 67, and Collins finished with a 70. Third-round leader Jhonattan Vegas had a 74 to tie for fourth with Steven Taylor (64) at 13 under.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
