Jerry Kelly led by two with two holes to go Sunday at the 2024 SAS Championship in Cary, North Carolina. And that’s when things got interesting.
Kelly three-putted for bogey on the 18th hole at Prestonwood Country Club, his only bogey of his final round, to shoot 5-under 67 and fall into a tie for the lead with overnight leader Padraig Harrington, who had moments before birdied the 17th.
With both golfers at 13 under, Harrington then flew his second on 18 from the right rough to the back left of the green. He chipped his third about eight feet past the hole, and with Kelly watching nearby, Harrington caught the edge of the cup but it lipped out for a closing bogey to give Kelly a one-shot victory.
It’s Kelly’s 12th PGA Tour Champions win and his first on the senior circuit since winning three times in 2022.
“I mean, it’s a long time coming,” he told Golf Channel a few minutes after clinching the win. “You wonder if you’re ever going to do it again when the injuries start piling up.”
Win No. 12 for Jerry Kelly!
The 57-year-old claims his first victory since 2022 @SASChampionship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Dm0PkndQae
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 13, 2024
Harrington, who closed in 71, was aiming for his third win in 2024. His runner-up finish was his sixth top 10 in 12 outings on the Champions tour.
Shane Bertsch was solo third at 10 under. Angel Cabrera was solo fourth, his best finish since returning to the Champions tour, at 9 under. Steven Alker tied for fifth at 8 under alongside Matt Gogel.
This was the final regular-season event on the senior circuit. Next up: the three-event Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. Ernie Els shot 73-74 over the weekend to finish T-45 but he’ll head into the playoffs in the No. 1 spot in the points race.
The top 72 players in the Charles Schwab Cup standings have advanced for a chance to play for the season-long title. Up first is the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Virginia, next week. Kelly told Golf Channel that despite moving up to ninth in the points after his win, he’s planning to skip the event.