After going nine years and 315 PGA tournaments without a victory, Joel Edwards
cruised to a seven-stroke triumph at the Air Canada Championship in British
Columbia.
Less than three months before his 40th birthday, Edwards fired a six-under-par
65 at the Northview Golf and Country Club and tied the tournament record with a
72-hole total of 19-under 265.
The Texan won comfortably from Steve Lowery who finished second at 12 under on
272.
Edwards put together four rounds in the 60s for the second time this season
and finally broke through for his first PGA win - 17 years after turning
professional.
Edwards said: "It's something you think about for a long time. The times I
thought about today were the times I practised when I didn't want to. You
practice all those hours for a moment just like this. It's the strangest,
neatest feeling."
Fred Funk and 1997 US Amateur champion Matt Kuchar tied for third at 11-under
273, one shot better than Kevin Sutherland, Brent Geiberger and David Gossett.
Scores
(USA unless stated, Par 71)
265 J Edwards 65 67 68 65
272 S Lowery 73 65 68 66
273 F Funk 70 67 67 69, M Kuchar 68 66 72 67
274 B Geiberger 66 70 70 68, D Gossett 67 68 69 70, K Sutherland 70 69 68 67
275 B Estes 69 69 69 68, E Fryatt (Gbr) 72 67 66 70, JJ Henry 67 72 66 70, B
Quigley 68 70 67 70, C Riley 66 71 71 67, B Schwarzrock 68 68 69 70, J Smith 71
70 67 67, G Waite (Nzl) 70 68 65 72
276 D Paulson 70 69 70 67, J Riegger 70 71 68 67, J Sindelar 71 67 69 69
277 B Ferguson 67 71 67 72, J Parnevik (Swe) 67 71 72 67
278 C Barlow 67 71 69 71, D Ellis 69 69 70 70, T Isenhour 71 69 67 71, S
Maruyama (Jpn) 68 68 73 69, S McCarron 67 72 70 69, D Peoples 70 70 70 68, E
Toledo (Mex) 69 69 70 70, B Wilson 72 68 70 68
279 T Armour III 67 69 71 72, T Carolan 72 68 69 70, D Frost (Rsa) 69 72 70
68, JP Hayes 69 71 71 68, T Herron 71 68 74 66, B May 70 70 69 70, R Sabbatini
(Rsa) 67 70 71 71, C Tidland 67 70 71 71
280 J Carter 72 68 69 71, P Jacobsen 69 71 72 68, N Lancaster 68 72 70 70, D
Morland IV 68 71 70 71, T Pernice Jr 68 69 72 71, J Van de Velde (Fra) 72 69 72
67
281 W Austin 71 68 70 72, JD Blake 70 71 68 72, G Boros 70 68 72 71, B
Henninger 70 69 73 69, C Howell 68 73 68 72, G Nicklaus 71 70 68 72, L Porter 69
68 73 71, B Watts 72 67 71 71, K Yokoo (SKo) 69 69 70 73
282 KJ Choi (SKo) 73 68 72 69, P Goydos 70 70 70 72, P Jordan 68 71 72 71,
C Stadler 69 70 71 72
283 D Forsman 69 71 75 68, B Jobe 67 70 70 76, H Slocum 67 71 75 70
284 J Brehaut 70 71 77 66, G Kraft 65 71 74 74, S Pate 70 68 73 73
285 M Combs 68 69 77 71, J Driscoll 70 68 75 72, T Fanning 68 70 73 74, P-U
Johansson (Swe) 68 66 76 75, J Restino 69 72 70 74
286 B Bryant 70 70 75 71, M Hensby 68 73 74 71, S Jones 68 72 74 72, T Tryba
70 71 72 73
288 B Chamblee 68 71 73 76, D Stockton 70 71 77 70
289 C Franco (Par) 68 73 73 75