Cameron Beckman won the Mayakoba Golf Classic for his third PGA Tour title, closing with a 3-under 67 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over third-round leader Joe Durant and Brian Stuard.
The 40-year-old Beckman, three strokes behind Durant at the start of play Sunday, finished at 15-under 269 on the Mayakoba Resort's El Camaleon course. Beckman also won the 2001 Southern Farm Bureau Classic and 2008 Frys.com Open.
``I started off well. I parred the first and birdied the next two and kind of got going a little bit,'' Beckman said. ``I was really uncomfortable off the tee today, and I chipped and putted really well. That's pretty much what got the tournament won for me.''
Durant shot a 72, and Stuard had a 66. Skip Kendall (64), Richard S. Johnson (65), Briny Baird (68), Chad Collins (70) and J.P. Hayes (71) followed at 12 under.
Beckman bogeyed the sixth, got the stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 eighth and added birdies on 13 and 17 before closing with a par.
``There's something about, you know, I'm cruising along playing, and all of a sudden I know I'm tied for the lead,'' Beckman said. ``That makes you nervous. Now you know you got a chance to win and you really got to tighten up and concentrate. You know, a lot of things go through your mind. Winning out here is tough. There's really no easy way do it. I've done it a couple different ways now, but it's a great feeling.''
He admitted he was uneasy on the 18th tee.
``I was really nervous,'' Beckman said. ``I hadn't driven the ball all that good the whole all day. You can get in trouble on that tee. I still felt like the two guys behind playing me could birdie the last two holes, also. Looking back now, I could have made bogey and still won, but fortunately I had a good tee shot and pitching wedge into the green, and kind of eked my putt up there and tapped it in.''
What was the key to the victory?
``Without question, putting,'' Beckman said. ``I mean, I hit the ball well, also, but this is probably the best I've putted in a long time. Probably since the last time I won. I just put a new putter in play two weeks ago, and just absolutely putted beautifully on these greens. ... Just a beautiful week of putting.''
