Reuters/Auburn, Alabama


Eight years after beating the odds to earn a $2 million cheque, Scott Piercy landed a different jackpot by winning his third PGA Tour title at the inaugural Barbasol Championship in Auburn, Alabama on Sunday.
Co-leader overnight with fellow American Ricky Barnes, Piercy played near-flawless golf in receptive conditions at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail as he eased to victory by three shots with a six-under-par 65.
The bearded 36-year-old from Las Vegas birdied four of the first six holes on the Grand National layout to seize control of the tournament and never relinquished his grip on the way to a 19-under total of 265.
Alabama native Will Wilcox birdied the last two holes for a 67 to secure second place at 16 under, finishing two strokes better than Barnes (70), South Korean Kim Meen-whee (69) and American amateur Robby Shelton (67).
“That was really good,” Piercy told Golf Channel after clinching the winner’s cheque for $630,000.
“I think I hit 17 greens and almost all the par-fives in two so it’s going to be hard to lose, I guess, when you do that.
“I had 17 birdie putts today and three eagle putts so I struck it awesome, awesome. I am really excited.”
In 2007, the long-hitting Piercy hit the jackpot with a $2 million payday when he birdied five of the last six holes to triumph at the made-for-television, winner-take-all Ultimate Game tournament in his hometown of Las Vegas.

BIGGEST THRILL
That success came on his fifth wedding anniversary and he has described it as his biggest thrill in golf.
On Sunday, after play was suspended for 80 minutes due to the threat of lightning, Piercy was equally impressive as he birdied the first two holes, draining a 60-footer at the par-four second to lead by two shots at 15 under.
He then picked up further shots at the fifth and sixth to forge three ahead of his closest challengers.
Though Piercy faltered with a three-putt bogey at the par-three eighth, he rebounded by knocking in a three-footer to birdie the ninth and reach the turn two strokes clear.
A booming drive followed by a superb second shot at the par-five 13th set up a comfortable two-putt birdie for Piercy as he stretched his lead to three strokes.
He picked up another shot at the 14th, where he hit a laser-like approach to six feet, and slammed the door shut on his rivals at the par-five 15th with his eighth birdie of the day after reaching the green in two.
Piercy, whose first two PGA victories came at the 2011 Barracuda Championship and the 2012 Canadian Open, could afford the luxury of another three-putt bogey at the 17th before he comfortably parred the last to close out the win.