Frys.com Open: Final-Round Notebook  PGA TOUR Staff LAS VEGAS -- George McNeill became the second rookie and the 11th first-time winner on the PGA TOUR in 2007 with his victory Sunday in the Frys.com Open, McNeill joins rookie Brandt Snedeker, who won the Wyndham Championship.  D.J. Trahan was the only player to finish within four shots of winner George McNeill. (Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
• Along with McNeill and Snedeker, the first-time winners on the PGA TOUR in 2007 are Charley Hoffman (Bob Hope Chrysler Classic); Henrik Stenson (World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship); Mark Wilson (The Honda Classic); Boo Weekley (Verizon Heritage); Nick Watney (Zurich Classic of New Orleans); Angel Cabrera (U.S. Open); Hunter Mahan (Travelers Championship): Brian Bateman (Buick Open); and Joe Ogilvie (U.S. Bank Championship). • The money earned by the 125th player on the money list increased by $28,239. At the start of the week, Harrison Frazar was ranked No. 125 with $688,814. After they handed out the money on Sunday at the Frys.com Open, Alex Cejka moved to the 125th position with $717,053. Frazar, who missed the cut, dropped to 127th. The difference between 125th and 126th place heading into the Fry's Electronics Open this coming week is $21,773. • Ninety-two players have earned more than $1 million for the season. Last year 93 players collected over $1 million, the most in the history of the TOUR. • Robert Garrigus recorded his best effort of his career with his tie for third on Sunday at the Frys.com Open. He moved from 101st to 77th on the season money list with his $232,000 payday, improving his season money to $1,138,510. • Carmeron Beckman tied for third for his second top-10 of the year (seventh at the Mayakoba Golf Classic). He jumps from 147th to 128th on the 2007 season money list with three events remaining to collect official money. The tie for third was his best finish since finishing tied for third at the 2002 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. • Bob May recorded his first top-10 finish of the season with his tie for fifth on Sunday. The last time he finished in the top-10 came at the 2006 B.C. Open presented by Turning Stone Resort, where he finished second. May now has five top-10 finishes in his career on TOUR, including three runner-up efforts. May, who is 182nd on the season money list, has never won on the TOUR. • Garrett Willis also collects his first top-10 of the season with his tie for seventh on Sunday. The last time Willis finished in the top-10 was a tie for second at the 2002 Valero Texas Open. His only other top-10 finish came when he won the 2001 Touchstone Energy Tucson Open. • Mathias Gronberg, who tied for seventh at the Frys.com Open posted back-to-back top-10 efforts for the first time in his career. Last week he tied for third at the Valero Texas Open and moved from 155th to 130th on the season money list and on Sunday in Las Vegas he collects $124,666 and moves to 120th on the 2007 money list.
• George McNeill became the seventh first-time winner at the Frys.com Open. He joins Jim Furyk (1995), Tiger Woods (1996), Phil Tataurangi (2002), Andre Stoltz (2004), Wes Short, Jr. (2005) and Troy Matteson (2006). • The 2002 champion Phil Tataurangi tied for 14th after closing with a 1-under-par 71. Tataurangi was making just his 46th PGA TOUR event since his Las Vegas 2002 win, primarily due to a herniated disc at the base of his spine. This year, he has made two cuts in eight starts with earnings of $77,102 playing out of the Past Champion category. • Champion George McNeill was the only player who managed to post four rounds in the 60s this week. Last year, nine players recorded four rounds in the 60s, including champion Troy Matteson. The last player to win the PGA TOUR's Las Vegas event with a round in the 70s was 1999 when Jim Furyk posted a fourth-round 71, when the event was a 90-hole contest. • Tim Herron recorded the only bogey-free round in the final round on Sunday at the TPC Summerlin. • George McNeill earns his first PGA TOUR victory in his 32nd career professional PGA TOUR start at 32 years, 13 days. • He earns a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR that will take him through the 2009 season. He also earns an exemption into the several invitational tournaments, including the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Championship. • With a career-best paycheck of $720,000, McNeill moves from No. 122 to 59th on the PGA TOUR Official Money List with $1,422,127. |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network