Miami - PGA Tour rookie Charlie Beljan claimed the Children's Miracle Network Classic in impressive fashion on Sunday, winning by two strokes in Florida to secure a PGA Tour card for the next two years just two days after a hospital stay.
Beljan fired a three-under-par 69 to finish at 16-under-par for the tournament, besting fellow Americans Robert Garrigus (68) and Matt Every (68) who tied for second at 14-under while Brian Gay (70) was a shot further back in fourth.
Suffering heart palpitations and shortness of breath during the second round, the 28-year-old spent Friday night in hospital but still managed to enter the final round with a two-stroke lead.
Starting the week at 139th on the money list and facing the prospect of losing his tour card for 2013, Beljan traded two bogeys with two birdies over the first five holes, leading many to believe his symptoms would eventually get the better of him.
But in a stunning turn of events he rammed home five birdies in a six hole run between the seventh and 12th holes to put a gap on the field and lead by as many as five.
A nervous double bogey after tree and sand trouble on the 13th was just a temporary stumble as another birdie on the 14th allowed Beljan to regain control of his round and although he bogeyed the final hole he still did more than enough to claim his first career tour win. - Reuters