Tide Alum Bohn Wins the Inaugural Chattanooga Classic
8/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Jason Bohn has won a million dollars in a hole-in-one contest and also posted an eye-popping 58 during a competitive round, but nothing compares to the feeling of being a tournament champion. The 30-year old Acworth, GA resident posted a final-round 64 Sunday to win the inaugural $450,000 Chattanooga Classic by one stroke.
Bohn birdied five of the final seven holes, including the final one from 10 feet and finished at 23-under-par 265, one better than rookie Kyle Thompson (68-266). The win was worth $81,000 to Bohn, who more than doubled his season earnings to $150,535 and jumped from No. 31 to No. 10 on the money list.
“This means so much more to me,” said Bohn. “Making a hole-in-one and winning that money was pot luck. Shooting a 58 was pretty special and one I’ll never forget but this one is the result of a lot of hard work, both mentally and physically. It all paid off for me, way more than hitting one shot.”
Bohn began the final round at the Black Creek Club three shots behind co-leaders Thompson and Ryan Palmer (67-267), who were at 18-under par. A flop shot from an impossible lie trickled in for birdie on the opening hole, letting Bohn all of his luck hadn’t run out on him a dozen years ago when he made an historic ace while barely into his sophomore season at the University of Alabama.
“I went over the back of the green and I was just dead back there,” said Bohn. “It landed soft and I got a great bounce. That was a great piece of luck to start the day with.”
Sunday’s final round figured to be a shootout after Bart Bryant blitzed the 7,044-yard layout with a course-record 63 to move from a tie for 32nd to challenging for the lead. Bryant eventually tied for sixth, at 19-under par.
Bohn, Palmer, Thompson, Jimmy Walker (66-268) and Tom Carter (68-268) all had their names on the leaderboard and had chances to win.
“Chasing the leaders is a lot different,” said Bohn. “You have to keep firing at flag sticks. I had to keep thinking birdies, which is easier to do than trying to protect a lead by making pars.”
Bohn bypassed all the challengers by hitting 16 of 18 greens in the pressure-packed final round. A pitching wedge to six feet on No. 16 resulted in a birdie and gave Bohn the lead at 22 under. On the closing hole, a reachable par-5, Bohn played conservatively and chipped his third shot to 10 feet.
“I knew I had to make birdies coming in,” he said. “I like being the chaser out there. I knew I had to make birdie to have a chance to win. If I didn’t, those guys behind me could make eagle and beat me. I knew the worst I could do would be to get into a playoff.”
Bohn, who lost a playoff to Carter at the Samsung Canadian PGA Championship in late June, fought off his nerves and rolled in the birdie putt, much to the delight of family and friends who made the 80-minute drive from the northwest side of Atlanta.
“I was pretty nervous over the putt,” he said. “I was definitely fighting the gut on that one.”
The birdie put Bohn up by two, with Palmer and Thompson needing eagle to tie. Palmer’s second shot at the closing hole found a greenside bunker and he eventually made par to wind up solo third. That left it up to Thompson, a 24-year-old from South Carolina, who drilled a 7-wood from 220 yards onto the green and faced a downhill 20-foot to force extra holes.
“The most nervous I was today was waiting for Kyle to putt,” said Bohn. “That’s the one part of the game you can’t control.”
Thompson missed and ultimately tapped in for birdie to take the runner-up spot for the second time this year. “I didn’t make anything most of the day,” said Thompson. “I had the same putt earlier in the week and missed. I played it the same way this time. I was stubborn. It stayed right where I aimed it.”
