Merritt Ties for 9th at Boise, Closes in on Web.com Playoffs Top 25

BOISE, Idaho -- Chesson Hadley made three consecutive birdies coming down the stretch at Hillcrest Country Club on Sunday, and that birdie spree propelled him to a one-stroke victory at the Albertsons Boise Open.

The former three-time All-American from Georgia Tech shot a final-round 65 (6 under par), which gave him a 72-hole total of 268. 

Jonathan Randolph, who led going into the final nine, played the back side in even par (two birdies, two bogeys) for a closing 69. That put him at 269 and in a tie for second place, along with Ted Potter, who shot 67 on Sunday. Alex Czeka posted a 69 for a cumulative 270 and solo fourth.

For Hadley, who has one victory on the PGA Tour, the victory was worth $180,000. As a result, he now leads the money list for the Web.com Playoffs. He has made $207,000 in the two events that have been played so far. There are two more remaining.

He made the turn on Sunday trailing Randolph by two strokes. The deficit became three when he bogeyed the 10th hole, but he birdied the 12th and then ran off three in a row at the 15th, 16th and 17th holes as he chased down Randolph and Potter.  

The top 25 on the 2017 Web.com Tour regular season money list have already earned PGA Tour Cards for the 2017-18 season, which begins in October. Hadley was one of those 25. So he has already assured himself of being back on the Big Tour, but his success in the Playoffs will improve his status and get him into more tournaments.

Another PGA Tour winner who is trying to regain his Tour Card is Troy Merritt, the former two-sport star (basketball and golf) from Spring Lake Park High School. He finished 149th on the money list for the 2016-17 PGA Tour season, and that's why he's in the Web.com Playoffs. The top 125 on the money list retain full playing privileges. 

Players who finished No. 126 through 200 on the PGA Tour money list are in the Playoffs, along with Nos. 1 through 75 on the Web.com regular season money list. Out of that group, the top 25 finishers in the Playoffs, not counting the top 25 from the Web.com regular season, will get PGA Tour Cards for 2017-18. 

Boise was a homecoming for Merritt, who lived in Idaho until he was in eighth grade, and went on to be an All-American at Boise State (he won the last five regular season tournaments he played in as a senior, and had the lowest scoring average in NCAA Division I golf his senior year). 

On Sunday, he birdied the 16th and 18th holes to shoot 68 and get into a tie for ninth. That was worth $22,375 to Merritt, which moved him up into 26th place on the Playoffs money list (he missed the cut in the first tournament of the playoffs). Because there are six guys ahead of him who have already earned their cards -- by being in the top 25 on the regular season money list -- Merritt is effectively in 20th place for the Playoffs so far. 

Also moving up on the Playoffs money list was Tom Hoge, the former two-time Minnesota State Amateur champion from Fargo. He turned in a 66 on Sunday, which moved him up into a tie for 17th. That was worth $12,650, and bumped him up from a tie for 41st on the Playoffs money list to 34th place, with $16,350.


MEN'S PROFESSIONAL GOLF

Web.com Tour

Web.com Playoffs

Albertsons Boise Open

At Hillcrest Country Club

Par 71

Final results

1. Chesson Hadley             $180,000      67-68-68-65-268

T2. Ted Potter                      $88,000      64-68-70-67--269

T2. Jonathan Randolph       $88,000       67-67-66-69--269

4. Alex Cjeka                       $48,000       63-68-70-69--270

T5. Matthew Southgate      $35,125       67-70-69-66--272

T5. Adam Svensson           $35,125       66-73-67-66--272

T5. Tyler Duncan                $35,125        66-64-68-74--272

T5. Andrew Landry             $35,125       69-70-65-68--272

T9. Troy Merritt                   $22,375     70-67-68-68--273

T17. Tom Hoge                  $12,650      67-73-68-66--274