THE CANADIAN PRESS
SASKATOON — Josh Geary shot a final-round 6-under 66 Sunday to win the Canadian Tour’s Saskatchewan Open by one stroke over third-round leader George Bradford.
Geary finished the week at 17-under-par 271.
“I’m in a bit of shock right now,” said Geary, who earned $24,000 and a two-year exemption for his first Canadian Tour title. “It’s hard to describe what I’m feeling right now; maybe it’ll hit me tomorrow.”
Geary was 1 over through three holes but a birdie at six and an eagle at seven got him into red figures.
“Yeah, I got off to a rough start and was feeling pretty bad but then I hit my tee shot at the sixth to about six inches and made a 40-footer for eagle at the next hole,” said Geary.
James Love made five birdies on the back nine and shot 67 to finish third at 15-under 273.
Clayton Rask and Luke Swilor both shot 63 to jump into a tie for fourth at 274 with Rob Grube (71) and Canadians JC Deacon (70), Stuart Anderson (68) and Dale Vallely (68).
Andres Gonzales (65) and Canadians Derek Gillespie (65), Scott Hawley (66) and Dustin Risdon (67) finished tied for 10th at 275.
Making the turn at 2 under, Geary drained three consecutive birdies beginning at the 12th to creep to within one of Bradford, who stood at 1 under for the day at the turn. Bradford bogeyed 14 and 15 to lose the lead but quickly regained a share of it with his birdie at 16 before Geary took it right back with a birdie at the final hole.
“I chipped in for birdie from the fringe at 12 and then drove the green at 13 and two-putted for birdie,” said Geary of his back-nine 32. “I made a pact with myself to not look at any scoreboards today so I had no idea where I was until the last hole when I two-putted for birdie.”
It was the second consecutive runner-up finish for Bradford, who lost a playoff to Dustin Risdon last week. Despite the disappointment of another second-place finish, Bradford’s hot streak has moved him into third on the Order of Merit and in prime position for an exemption into the Canadian Open later this month.
With the win, Geary jumps to seventh spot on the Order of Merit.