SAN JACINTO, California - Former Southern Utah University golfer Jake Vincent was 20 strokes worse over his final 36 holes compared to his opening two rounds. What resulted, however, at PGA TOUR Canada's Qualifying Tournament at Soboba Springs Golf Course was a victory, by a stroke over Perry Cohen and David Kim. How he did it, while not always pretty with 72 holes that were something of an adventure, still got the job done. With the victory, Vincent will be eligible to play in every 2022 event, while Cohen and Kim join a group of seven others guaranteed with playing starts in the season's first-half tournaments.
Vincent's best golf came in the first two rounds, but he overcame the crucible of the battle and had just enough to hold on Friday—his 66-64, 14-under start giving him enough of a cushion to overcome a wind-blown, 6-over 78 in the third round and then a workmanlike 72 to close. Vincent, who has only been a pro for 11 months, felt nothing but relief after a week that provided plenty of ups and downs but ultimately one where he led the tournament outright after each round.
Vincent started his final round par-bogey-bogey, a scorecard that looked strikingly similar to his third-round when he shot the 78. Vincent was able to settle down from there, and one by one, those pursuing him began to fall back.
"Today I told my caddie that was the gameplan—let's see if we can give ourselves 18 birdie looks. And it shakes out how it shakes out, but I think we worked the plan pretty well," Vincent said.
He didn't have 18 birdie putts, but his game was good enough to pull out the victory and he made enough of the birdie chances he faced.
"With 27 holes to go, I didn't have the lead anymore. I kept telling myself I faced the pressure I had seen, and I needed to take it one stroke at a time," he added.
Vincent birdied the par-3 fourth, and after a par-5 at the fifth, he birdied the second of back-to-back par-5s at Soboba Springs Golf Course, No. 6. From there it was a steady diet of pars until No. 12, when he made his final birdie of the tournament.
"I knew it was unlikely, but I thought there might be a chance if I birdied 17 and eagled 18," Cohen said. "I had a about a six-footer for birdie on 17 that burned the edge. I knew it would be difficult to catch [Vincent]." Even at that, Cohen made his 14-foot birdie putt, his final stroke of the tournament. Kim finished with a birdie, as well, Vincent's closing bogey leaving the duo a stroke back.
With a smile, allowing his accomplishment to settle in, Vincent on a sunny, sunny day that will undoubtedly turn into a starry, starry night said, "I love golf. Man, I really enjoy it."
He continued, "From tomorrow until June, I'll work as hard as I can on the short game. The long game was here this week, and even when the wind beat me up physically and my swing wasn't that good. I was able to piece it together, to hit it pretty straight. I need to get better with the short game, and I have a couple of months to get better."
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