Conover, NC – Fred Funk birdied the final hole Sunday to earn a 1-stroke win over Duffy Waldorf at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Golf & Spa.
Funk carded a 3-under 69 to finish at 15-under-par 201. The victory was Funk's second of the season and eighth of his Champions Tour career.
"No, I was very relaxed. I played really good on the front nine. I hit all nine greens and had 18 putts. I hit three putts exactly where I wanted, but they didn't go in," Funk said in a televised interview.
Waldorf, in his fourth tour start, fired a 6-under 66 to end one stroke back at minus-14.
Mark Wiebe, the 2011 champion, managed a 2-under 70 to grab third place at 10- under-par 206.
Jay Don Blake (68), John Cook (68), Dan Forsman (70), Peter Senior (70) and Chip Beck (71) shared fourth place at minus-9.
Funk led Waldorf by four to start the round, but ran off 11 consecutive pars to start his round.
Meanwhile, Waldorf was making a charge. He dropped in back-to-back birdies from the third and again from the sixth to grab a share of the lead.
After three pars in a row, Waldorf converted a birdie effort at the 11th to grab the lead. Funk responded with a birdie on No. 12 to join Waldorf at minus-13.
Waldorf, playing one group ahead of Funk, birdied the par-5 14th, but Funk sank an 8-footer for a birdie of his own to again forge a share of the lead.
Waldorf closed with four straight pars, and waited to see what Funk would do.
Funk parred three in a row from the 15th. At the last, his second came up about 10 yards short of the green. Funk chipped to two feet and knocked that in for birdie and the win.
"I was feeling a little heat there, even on that little one right there (on 18), I was feeling it," Funk stated on TV.
NOTES: Funk collected $240,000 for the win ... After a week off, the tour heads to San Antonio for the AT&T Championship, where Fred Couples cruised to a 7-stroke win last year.
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