Mediate cruises to 7-shot win in Calgary

Calgary, AB – Rocco Mediate closed with his second straight 64 on Sunday and cruised to a 7-stroke win at the Shaw Charity Classic.

Mediate finished at 22-under-par 191. This was his second Champions Tour win of the season, with his first coming at the season-opening Allianz Championship. His total of 191 matched the lowest 54-hole score in Champions Tour history.

"Like I said, I loved the course when I saw it because of its little bitty fairways and lots of trees," Mediate stated. "I was fortunate this week to not drive in the trees that many times and keep it in the fairways or close to the fairways."

Tom Byrum matched Mediate's 64 to end alone in second place at minus-15 at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club. Duffy Waldorf (65) and Kirk Triplett (67) shared third place at 14-under-par 199.

Scott Hoch and Jeff Freeman both closed with 65s to end in fifth place at minus-13. They were joined there by David Frost (69), Tom Pernice, Jr. (69), Michael Allen (69) and Bobby Clampett (71).

Mediate parred the first three holes, then poured in a three birdies in a 4- hole span from the fourth to jump to 18-under, where he was three clear of Byrum.

After three straight pars around the turn, Mediate 2-putted for birdie at the par-5 11th. He followed a short birdie putt on the par-3 14th with a 5-foot eagle effort on the par-5 15th.

That could have been the big turning point as he played his second over water, but the shot turned out perfect. His caddie tried to talk him out of the shot briefly, but Mediate pulled it off.

Mediate did stumble to a bogey on the 16th, but he ended the event in style with a birdie at the last.

"I just had a lot of opportunities. I kept the ball in front of me most of the time. I had some ridiculously good shots to par-5s and I made a lot of putts," Mediate said. "We all did, but I had a lot of opportunities. I don't know how many greens I hit this week, but I hit a lot. I just made them. I hit a lot of good shots inside 15 feet all week and I made a lot of putts."

Byrum, who started six groups in front of Mediate, tried to make an early move, but Mediate was undaunted. Byrum poured in six birdies in a 7-hole span from the second to jump to 14-under.

That burst got Byrum within three, but he posted just one more birdie, at the par-5 11th, to end alone in second.

"I was just hitting it close, and when I just had a marginally close one, it seemed like I made that, too," stated Byrum. "So I had everything going -- putting, hitting -- it was all good. I was right on with everything I've got. On the back nine, it started to just kind of slip a little."

NOTES: Mediate earned $300,000 for the victory ... He was the third rookie winner in a row on the Champions Tour, and this was the sixth tournament this year won by a rookie ... Mediate became the first rookie with multiple wins since Fred Couples in 2010 ... Clampett finished at 13-under despite leading the tournament with 20 birdies.