Unsung Queenslander Cory Crawford has produced his own comeback for the ages with a one-shot victory in the Vic PGA Championship at Moonah Links.

More than seven years after his one and only Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory – in Port Moresby in May, 2017 – he has logged his second win after at least two years of struggle with a back fracture that was not originally diagnosed.

The 32-year-old who plays out of Sanctuary Cove holed a right-to-left 12-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole which turned out to have secured the victory at 14-under par.

But before he knew that the championship was his, he had to hit the driving range to keep warm while American Tyler McCumber came down the par-5 18th on the Open course.

McCumber was at 13-under and needed birdie for a playoff. The Floridean missed the green left with his long iron second shot, chipped up to just more than two feet, and had that putt for four to extend the contest.

But inexplicably, the man who has played 60 times on the US PGA Tour and who had looked the winner for much of the day, missed the putt and could only make a par.

Out on the range 100 metres away, the news passed through to Crawford, who had played superbly shooting a final-round 68 with seven birdies.

He was presented with the Jack Harris Cup by Marilyn Harris, the daughter of the late tour star and six-time winner of this event.

Much of the attention fell to potential miracle man Anthony Quayle, who had been penalized seven strokes in round one because of a mistake over preferred lies, and who shot a closing 69 to finish 12-under and in third behind Crawford and McCumber.

But it was Crawford who wrote the better redemption story on the day.

Victorian Darcy Brereton, who shot the equal-low round of the day, a 4-under 68, was tied-fourth at 11-under with overnight joint leader Jason Hong and WA’s Braden Becker.Crawford said he was on his “third restart” from a tough couple of years with the injury.

“A lot’s gone on. It’s been pretty difficult at times. To be in this is pretty special,” he said afterward.
Injuries have prevented him from playing much golf at all in the past few years since he injured his back in the gym. The injury turned out to be a fracture of the T10 vertebrae but the diagnosis came later, after he had attempted to play through the pain.

“It’s still a management process,” he said. “I’m still at the stage where if I move the wrong way it can come back again. But every day that doesn’t happen I’m getting further and further away from going back to where I was.”

Five or six players were deep in contention throughout a pulsating final day in difficult, 30km/h winds, but beyond bogeys at the fourth and sixth, the Queenslander was brilliant. He picked up shots at 8, 9, 12 and 13 with brilliant approaches to the green and then at 16, another lasered iron gave him the birdie that put him in front.

Crawford described himself as being “on my third restart” from the back issue, but today he felt vindicated for all the work he has done.

“I’ve worked really hard with (coach) Terry Price on trying to improve the ballstriking. It feels really good to hit some good shots under the pump,” he said.

He also paid tribute to caddie for the weekend Blake Proverbs, his fellow tour pro, especially for guidance over the putt on 18. Crawford had his read of a little right-to-left, but called Basic over to confirm it.

“Under pressure sometimes it can get a little hazy, but he was awesome. To have that bit of reassurance was awesome, and we hit a great putt.”

McCumber was the nearest-pursuer and he at one point had a two-shot lead through 12 holes. The American had flown to Australia to get some golf after his own long period of injury troubles, and he appeared on track for a win.

But he slipped out of the lead with a bogey at at the 15th, lipped out for birdie downhill at the par-3 17th hole and then could not make the birdie he needed at 18. Like Quayle, he would have reflected on the fact that in round one, he was penalized two strokes for taking preferred lie mistakenly.

Joint overnight leaders Jye Pickin (75 today) and Jason Hong (73) quickly slipped back into the pack with Pickin sliding to tied-eighth.

Quayle threw everything into his redemption story, but he fell two short.

“I’m sure when I reflect on this in a little bit of time, I’ll be really proud of this week,” he said.

Meanwhile Victorian pro James Gibellini and Tim Snow won the teams event, the Victorian Amateur Challenge, at 33-under par.

PHOTO: Cory Crawford celebrates his second main tour win. Image: Daniel Pockett