CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Justin Bolli fired a 7-under 65 Sunday to earn his first win on the Nationwide Tour at the Chattanooga Classic.
Bolli, who made the cut on the number of minus-5 after round two, ended the event at 21-under-par 267.
‘When you make the cut on the number, you tee it up on Saturday thinking you’ve got nothing to lose,’ said Bolli. ‘You’ve got to make a lot of birdies out here anyway.’
Overnight leader Chris Anderson managed a 3-under 69 to share second place at 20-under-par 268. He was joined there by Johnson Wagner, who closed with a 66.
Doug Barron, who set a new course record of 10-under 62, and Matthew Jones finished two strokes further back at minus-18.
Bolli, who matched the previous course record of 63 Saturday, began his day three shots behind Anderson at the Black Creek Club. He started slowly with five straight pars.
The 28-year-old dropped in back-to-back birdies from the sixth to get to minus-16. After two more pars, Bolli stumbled to his lone bogey at the par-4 10th.
Bolli then caught fire. He dropped a pitching-wedge within 2 feet for birdie at the 13th. At the par-5 14th, Bolli rolled in a 10-footer for eagle to get to 18 under.
The University of Georgia alum was not finished either. Bolli sank a 20-footer for birdie at the 15th, and stuck a 5-iron 10 feet from the cup at the 17th.
He went on to sink that putt to get to 20 under. Bolli finally grabbed the lead with an up-and-down birdie at the last. The title was finally his when Anderson was unable to birdie the final hole.
‘After the eagle on No. 14, I knew I could win the tournament,’ said Bolli, who earned $81,000 for the win. ‘When I finished up on the 18th, I honestly thought there would be a playoff. It is definitely a relief to win.’
Anderson picked up his first birdie at the third, but stumbled to a bogey at the fifth. He came right back to birdie No. 6, but again slid back to even-par for his round with a bogey at the ninth.
Around the turn, he climbed back into the lead at minus-21 with birdies at the 10th and 12th, and an eagle on the par-5 14th. However, he lost his chance at a playoff when he bogeyed the par-4 17th and was unable to birdie the last.
Wagner dropped in back-to-back birdies from the fifth. On the back side, he picked up birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th. He also birdied the par-5 closing hole to share second place.
Barron broke the course record thanks to a stellar back side. He birdied four of the first six holes before running off four straight pars around the turn. He drained back-to-back birdies from the 11th.
The 34-year-old then ran off three consecutive birdies from the 14th to get to minus-17. Barron also birdied No. 18 to set the new course mark.
‘I came out and was pretending I had to get to 7 or 8 under just to make the cut,’ said Barron. ‘I just made it my own little tournament and then I got in the zone.’
Bart Bryant and Tyler Williamson each closed with rounds of 2-under 70. They shared sixth place at 17-under-par 271. Todd Demsey, Roland Thatcher and Chris Tidland were one stroke further back at minus-16.
Related Links: