White Sulphur Springs, WV (SportsNetwork.com) - Angel Cabrera closed with a 6- under 64 on Sunday and rallied to win the Greenbrier Classic by two strokes.
Cabrera ended at 16-under-par 264. This was his third PGA Tour win, but first in a regular tour stop. His other two victories were in major championships.
"I am very happy that Argentina was doing so good (in the World Cup), but I'm very happy to have won. I've been working really hard, and I needed this," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "I hit it very solid today, and was under control. The work I've been doing the last few weeks paid off."
With Cabrera's come-from-behind win, that means all five winners of this tournament have rallied in the final round to win the title.
George McNeill fired the low round of the day with his 9-under 61 to grab second place at minus-14. On his front nine, McNeill birdied four in a row and followed that with a hole-in-one at No. 8 on the Old White TPC Course at The Greenbrier.
Webb Simpson posted a 7-under 63 and he ended alone in third at 10-under 270.
Bud Cauley also had a hole-in-one on the 18th en route to a 6-under 64. He ended in a share of fourth place at minus-9. Cauley was joined there by Chris Stroud (69), third-round leader Billy Hurley III (73), Brendon Todd (66), Keegan Bradley (66), Cameron Tringale (69) and Will Wilcox (69).
McNeill opened with three pars, then went on a tear. He poured in four straight birdies from the fourth, three of which were from inside 10 feet.
At the par-3 eighth, his tee shot found the bottom of the cup for a hole-in- one and the eagle got him within one of the lead. Around the turn, NcNeill made a 10-foot birdie effort on the 10th to grab a share of the lead with Hurley, who birdied the first, but tripped to a bogey on the second.
McNeill parred five in a row from the 11th. Hurley fell off the pace with four bogeys in a 5-hole span from the second, and he never contended again.
Meanwhile, Cabrera poured in a 35-footer for birdie on the third and followed with a 4-foot birdie effort on the fifth to move to 12-under. McNeill responded with a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 16.
Cabrera fought back with another 4-footer for birdie on the seventh. They were tied at 13-under at that point, but McNeill answered with a 2-putt birdie on the par-5 17th. He parred the last and headed to the clubhouse to wait as Cabrera and Hurley, the final twosome, were just making the turn.
The back nine was all Cabrera. He rolled in a 17-foot putt for birdie at 11 to join McNeill at minus-14. Cabrera followed with a 7-foot birdie try on No. 12.
The Argentine then holed his second shot at the par-4 13th from 176 yards out for an eagle and a 3-stroke lead.
Cabrera gave those two strokes back to make things interesting. His approach at the par-4 18th spun off the front of the green. He chipped to 10 feet, but missed the par putt. At 15th, his tee ball at the par-3 ran through the green.
After chipping on, he 2-putted for bogey from 15 feet out to dip to minus-15, where he was one clear of McNeill.
Cabrera found the green at the par-5 17th in two shots, and he 2-putted for birdie from 38 feet out to push his lead back to two. Cabrera parred the last to seal the win.
Though he failed to win, McNeill gained a spot in the Open Championship as did Tringale, Stroud and Hurley. It was tough for McNeill to celebrate that fact as he learned after his round that his older sister, who had been very ill, passed away before his round.
Cauley and Wilcox shared fourth place with Stroud, Tringale and Hurley, but those three gained the spot in the Open Championship by having better world rankings than Cauley and Wilcox.
NOTES: Cabrera earned $1.17 million for the win ... Cabrera closed 64-64 and his closing 128 matched the best final 36 holes on the PGA Tour this year ... McNeill's ace was the second of his career on the PGA Tour ... U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson closed with a 69 and he shared 35th place ... Last year's winner Jonas Blixt also shared 35th at minus-4 after closing with a 71 ... The tour heads to Illinois next week for the John Deere Classic, where Jordan Spieth won last year.
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