Driscoll Earns Second Career Web.com Tour Win at Nashville Open
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June 20, 2016
Brentwood, Tenn. – James Driscoll dunked his second shot at the par-4 12th hole for eagle Sunday to break away from a packed leaderboard beneath him at the inaugural Nashville Golf Open for his second career Web.com Tour victory. His 160-yard hole-out for eagle was sandwiched between birdies at No. 11 and No. 13, completing a 4-under, three-hole stretch on the back nine to secure his first Web.com Tour victory in nearly 12 years. His 19-under 269 edged out Brian Campbell by three shots, and the $99,000 winner’s check moved him up to No. 17 on the money list from No. 144.
“That was a great four days,” Driscoll said, who last won at the 2004 Virginia Beach Open. “I think I did a great job of staying out of my own way. I think that’s huge. I think that’s something I’ve been dealing with for a long time and haven’t really realized it until recently. Kept trying too hard and just gotta let go and let the subconscious take over and things fall into place.”
The 38-year-old veteran led by just one entering the 11th hole at Nashville Golf and Athletic Club, but he hit an 8-iron to 20 feet and holed the putt for birdie to begin a torrid three-hole stretch. He followed up his third birdie of the day at the 11th with the shot of the tournament – another 8-iron approach that found the bottom of the cup at the 12th and shut the door on the field.
“Didn’t hit it perfectly but it was on line, mishit it a little bit,” he said, “but I told it to get up and it listened and went right in the hole.”
Despite 240 career PGA TOUR starts on his resume, which includes playoff losses at the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 2009 Valero Texas Open, Driscoll had struggled in recent years with his last top-10 finish on the TOUR or Web.com Tour coming nearly three years ago at the AT&T National on June 30, 2013. After a 115th place finish on the Web.com Tour money list a year ago, he was certain he was headed back to second stage of Qualifying School, but found out a month after applying that he was able to utilize a one-time exemption for full status on the Web.com Tour as a player with five consecutive years on the PGA TOUR under his belt.
He had failed to take advantage early in 2016, missing the weekend in seven of his first eight starts. The last missed cut of that stretch though was when everything began to change. He found something in his third-round 65 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, and had made the cut in his last two starts, including a season-best T29 entering this week.
“I just couldn’t be more grateful for this win,” he said. “Felt like I’ve always put the hard work in but at some point in this game it comes down to getting out of your own way. It’s cliché but it’s true. I think I’ve been getting in my way own way for a long time. It was good enough this week.”
Rookie Brian Campbell posted his second runner-up finish in his last three starts. The former Illinois All-American has now posted four top-10s in his last five starts, including three consecutive top-10s, to move up to ninth on the Web.com Tour money list with $148,950. Campbell entered the day one shot back of Driscoll’s lead but immediately bogeyed the first hole and was forced to play catch-up the rest of the round. His 3-under 69, which included birdies at two of his last four holes, left him three short of Driscoll in solo second.