Matteson Holds Off Field for Win

Next year, Troy Matteson will be headed to the PGA Tour, but for now he is satisfied with his second Nationwide Tour victory.

Matteson, the tour’s season money leader, added to his earnings Sunday by winning the Mark Christopher Charity Classic at Empire Lakes in Rancho Cucamonga with a 13-under 271 total.

“There’s no doubt winning’s important,” said Matteson, who is guaranteed of finishing as one of the tour’s top 20 money leaders, thus earning a 2006 PGA Tour exemption. “The second one kind of reinforces the first one and makes you feel like you belong.”

He garnered the winner’s purse of $85,500 to push his season earnings to $442,529. The mark is the second highest in the history of the Nationwide Tour to Zach Johnson’s $494,882 in 2003.

Matteson has six events left to break Johnson’s record.

“That’s been a goal to try and come as close as we can to the record or break it,” he said. “It’s a good goal to have. It would be icing on the cake.”

Matteson started the day with four birdies on the first eight holes and shot all pars on the back nine, en route to a bogey-free round. He credited saving par on the 214-yard 17th hole after a poor six-iron attempt as his biggest shot of the round.

“I didn’t hit a lot of them as close as I wanted to,” said Matteson, who also has three seconds and 11 top-10 finishes. “Fortunately the ball just ended up going in on them. We had a lot of good chips.”

At the onset of the final round, Matteson’s caddy, Josh Svendsen, forecast that a 13-under finish would bring a victory.

“Like always, he was right on the number,” said Matteson, who shot three rounds of four-under 67s and a one-under 70 in the tournament.

Matteson’s victory breaks tradition at this event, where nine of the 11 victors had been first-time winners.

“I was proud of myself today. We didn’t hit one shot that was dictated by the scoreboard,” he said. “That was probably one of my better putting rounds of the year.”

Mathew Goggin, Johnson Wagner and Spike McRoy finished two strokes behind. McRoy was in contention for most of the final round, but had a bogey on the par-four 15th hole after a double bogey on the ninth.

“I’ve got to pat myself on the back,” said McRoy, who was a co-leader with Jason Caron after three rounds.

“That’s the first bad swing I’ve put on an iron since Friday morning. It just came at a bad time.”

Defending champion Scott Dunlap finished tied for 20th at six-under 278 and James Oh, the 2003 winner, finished a stroke behind.

As for Matteson, he will team with Jason Gore, winner of the PGA Tour 84 Lumber Classic on Sunday and second to Matteson on the money list, today in Boise. The pair will face off against Annika Sorenstam, Juli Inkster, Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer in a nine-hole shootout.

“I’ve already been told they are going to kick our butts,” Matteson said. “If we’re the underdogs, maybe it will be better. I think I’ll just ride Jason for nine holes.”