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Chandler, Ariz. – Former Virginia standout men’s golfer Danny Walker (Bredenton, Fla.) won the Web.com Tour’s Final Stage Qualifying Tournament Sunday at Whirlwind Golf Club
in Chandler, Ariz., to secure fully exempt status for the 2019 season. Walker finished the four-day tournament at 27-under 261. 
 
“I am super excited right now,” Walker said. “My goal was to come in top 10 this week so I wasn’t really thinking about winning but I am excited about it now obviously and relieved to have the week done. Obviously, it’s a stressful week for everybody so it feels good to play well.
 
Walker shot 9-under 63 during Sunday’s final round. He had six birdies during his back nine, including the final three holes, to beat Zinjun Zhang by one stroke for medalist honors.
 
Walker said the key to his rally was to stay relaxed, try not to look at any leaderboards and rely on a solid short game. 
 
“I didn’t look at scoreboards at all today,” Walker said. “I kind of accidentally saw one after 16. I wasn’t trying to. I saw I was one or two back then. 
 
“I set my goal to not make a bogey today because I made a couple in the first few rounds, so I wanted to have a clean card because there’s enough birdie holes out there if I did that I make some birdies and be in good shape, I wasn’t trying to force anything, just keep it in front of me. I did a good job inside of 130 yards hitting a lot of quality shots and having a lot of good looks and some tap-in birdies as well.”
 
Walker won the Freedom 55 Financial Championship in September on the PGA Tour Canada’s Mackenzie Tour. He had another top-10 showing with a ninth-place effort at the same tour’s Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open in June.
 
“It’s a huge relief, one less thing to worry about no pressure,” Walker said. “I haven’t thought about that until now, but it’s really exciting.”
 
Jimmy Stanger (Tampa, Fla.), the 2017 ACC individual champion and a first-team All-American at UVA, tied for third place at 25-under 291. He will be exempt for the majority of the events during the 2019 Web.com Tour schedule. 
 
In September, former UVA All-American Denny McCarthy won the Web.com Tour’s Finals Championship to earn fully-exempt status on the 2018-19 PGA Tour.