SAN MARTIN — Jimmy Walker said Saturday that maybe all he needed to hoist the Frys.com Open Cup was a little bit of luck. It looks like he got it.
The PGA TOUR has its first champion of the 2014 season and Walker finally has his first win — something he’s been chasing since earning his card in 2009.
Walker started off Sunday three strokes behind leader Brooks Koepka, but rebounded to shoot a 68 and finish 17 under in the final round of the Frys.com Open at CordeValle. The 23-year-old Koepka held the lead since Friday but struggled down the stretch, bogeying three times on the back nine to open the door for Walker to gain some ground. Koepka finished tied for third at 14 under.
For Walker, who turned pro in 2001, this has been a long time coming. He finished in the top 10 six times but was never able to pick up a ‘W’.
His first victory couldn’t have come at a better time. In addition to the title of Frys.Com Open Champion, Walker takes home full FedEx Cup points, $900,000 and a prestigious invitation to The Masters — all of which were offered for the first time at this year’s tournament.
Walker has played at Augusta just once before, hitting -1 in a friendly game with his father and a family friend. This time he’ll return as professional, playing with the best in the world.
“It’s another dream come true,” Walker said.
Sunday’s victory also brings with it a nearly three-year sponsor exemption for Walker, meaning he doesn’t have to stress over losing his TOUR card. Even so, he said that doesn’t mean he’s going to let his guard down any time soon.
“I want to stay hungry,” Walker said. “I think when you win, you want to win again and you want to win again. You’ve got to stay hungry. …Everybody wants a spot out here. You’ve got to stay on top of your game.”
Walker said he’s impressed with the pool of young talent — players like Koepka or rookie Max Homa who tied for ninth — that’s emerging in the PGA TOUR. Many of his opponents are just barley 20-years-old, but he said he’s not intimidated by their youth. Their talent, however, is a different story.
His path compared to his younger counterparts, however, was much different. Walker said he received his first lesson during his junior year at Baylor and despite the fact that he was an All-American there, still needed to improve his game to level of that of these young golfers.
Luck, focus and a little patience proved to be the winning formula for Walker. With an infectious smile and a look of relief on his face, the champion reflected on the long road he’s travelled to get here.
“I’ve played on a lot of tours, I’ve won on a lot of tours,” Walker said. “This was kind of the final stepping stone. … I wouldn’t take back anything I’ve had to do to get here.”
