The APGA Tour sure didn’t disappoint in its first-ever nationally televised event.
Playing the South Course at Torrey Pines just a day after Luke List won the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, veteran Tim O’Neal and Patrick Newcomb stood on the 18th tee tied for the lead at even par. Both found the par-5 green in three, setting up a putting contest from inside six feet for birdie and the win. Newcomb was first to play, curling his putt into the bottom of the hole while O’Neal’s caught the left edge and missed.
“It was a long day. We’re out there for a long, long time. It’s a tough course, tested everybody,” said Newcomb after the round on Golf Channel. “It wasn’t my finest hour on the greens, finally holed one there at the last.”
Patrick Newcomb (@ThreeWiggle99) has won the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational!
This is his first career @APGA_Tour victory and earns him an exemption into the @KornFerryTour's Simmons Bank Open. pic.twitter.com/81ZHnSCwB1
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 31, 2022
The win is Newcomb’s first on tour and follows a strong 2021 season where in six starts the 31-year-old didn’t finish worse than T-10. O’Neal, winner of the 2019 APGA Scottsdale at TPC Scottsdale, finished runner-up with Marcus Byrd third at 4 over and three players T-4 at 5 over: Willie Mack III, Trey Valentine and Kevin Hall.
Since 2010 the APGA Tour, a non-profit organization, has been striving to help prepare African Americans and other minority golfers to compete and win at the highest levels of professional golf.
“I think it’s great. This tour has been fantastic, I’ve played it all year,” said Newcomb of the APGA. “This was a great spot for me. The guys are great and I’m just excited to get the win.”