Scotland’s Jimmy Gunn secured his best Web-Com Tour finish and the largest prize cheque of his career despite a horror re-start to his third round on route to eventually finishing in second place and three shots from a maiden victory in the Bahamas.
The Dornoch-born Gunn went into his final 28 holes of the weather-affected Bahamas Great Abaco Classic enjoying a four stroke leading cushion when poor light halted play late on Tuesday.
The 36-year old Gunn had birdied the eighth hole as the siren sounded to halt play and leaving him well in command at 12-under par.
However, when the third round resumed early Wednesday, and the first day of calm conditions since the event started on Sunday, it turned into a nightmare for Gunn in taking three bogeys in succession from the 11th hole and while he birdied the par five 14th he walked off with a triple bogey ‘7’ at the next to now be two over par for his round.
Texan Andrew Landry grabs two eagles in his final round to capture the The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club. (Photo – Web.Com Tour)
Gunn ended his third round with a birdie and a score of a one over par 73 but was now back to nine under par and trailing two strokes behind American Andrew Landry, who went on to win the second event of the 2017 Web.Com season.
But then Gunn displayed his tenacity despite the poor finish to his third round to come out over the closing 18 in posting a four under par 68 that included six birdies at the 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 14th and 17th holes.
“I like playing in the wind but as soon as it went calm, I couldn’t play again,” Gunn said.
“It was a good week. Just five bad holes killed me. You can’t do that when the wind goes down.”
However there was plenty of good news for Gunn in being handed a pay cheque for $US 64,800 and the biggest cash prize of his pro career. The effort has seen Gunn jump 36 spots and into third place on the Web.Com Tour money list and with earnings of $US 67, 320 in his first two events of 2017.
And Gunn’s Bahamas payout is about half the amount he had previously earned in 44 Web.Com Tour events ahead of teeing up last Sunday.
The former Royal Dornoch caddies previous highest cheque was some $US 62,000 he earned in sharing 27th place in the 2015 US Open.
Texas-born Landry, who had finished T15th in last year’s US Open, carded a last day 67 helped by two eagles, at the par five 8th and 14th holes, to capture a second Web.Com title.
