GOVE REBOUNDS FROM FOUR SHOT DEFECIT TO WIN QUARLES AND BRADY CLASSIC

Jeff Gove started the final round at 4-under par and was four shots back of second-round leader Doug Quinones heading into the last day, but used a sizzling back nine stretch to take the lead and come away with a one shot win at the Quarles and Brady LLP Classic at The Wigwam Golf Resort.

Quinones was in the drivers seat at 8-under, but struggled to start the final round with a 3-over 39 to drop to 5-under for the tournament. Gove was even on the front nine but still made up three shots and was just one back going into the final nine holes.

Both players made par on the first two holes of the back nine, but Gove made his move with five consecutive birdies on holes 12-16 to jump to 9-under par. Quinones made a birdie on 13, but back-to-back bogeys on 15 and 16 dropped him five shots back at 4-under with two holes left to play.

Despite what looked like an insurmountable deficit, things got close at the end. Quinones made birdie on 17 to cut the lead to four shots, then tightened things up with another birdie on 18 to get to 6-under. Gove meanwhile found trouble on 18, but was able to get in with a double-bogey 6 and secure the one shot win at 7-under par.

Gove went 71-69-69 and carded 13 birdies, four bogeys and one double bogey for the week. His 3-under was the low round of the day, and he was one of just four players to shoot in the red in the final round.

Quinones carded rounds of 70-66-74 and still finished solo second despite his disappointing 2-over in the final round.

Brock Mackenzie and Donald Constable finished T3 at 4-under par, while Eric Hawerchuk finished solo fifth at 3-under. Mackenzie had a roller coaster final round 72, carding five birdies and five bogeys. Still, this was Mackenzie’s fourth Top-5 finish of the year and he has finished in the Top-10 in all seven of his starts.

For complete results from the Grand Canyon University Classic CLICK HERE.

Next up on the OnCore Gateway Tour is the Winter Series Championship at Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, Calif., Feb. 16-18.