Leonard Beats Parnevik In Texas Open
The crowd stood breathless as they waited for Jesper Parnevik and Justin Leonard stare each other off as they battled each other on the seventh hole during the Valero Texas Open on Sunday. Over the course of more than 5 1/2 hours, the front-runners staged a white-knuckle thrill ride that didn’t end until Leonard coaxed home a 10-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole, ending the longest day in the tournament’s history.
In finally winning a remarkable battle that included two magical saves for Parnevik on apparently disastrous holes, Leonard joined Arnold Palmer in becoming the only player to win the Texas Open three times. “I didn’t think about it today, which is probably a good thing,” said Leonard, who also won in 2000 and 2001, “but it’s great company to be in.”
With the victory, the former University of Texas star captured a tournament-record first prize of $810,000. The veteran Parnevik, whose second-place finish secured his PGA Tour exemption for next season, earned $486,000 after a finish reminiscent of the 1997 British Open.