Even in darkest days, Todd retained his confidence

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All things considered, it doesn't take Brendon Todd a whole lot of time to make a most valuable point -- that he belongs whenever and wherever he sticks a tee in the ground.

Take his freshman year at the University of Georgia. All Todd, 23, did was win the Southeastern Conference individual title on his way to being named to the All-American team for the first of four consecutive seasons.

Take his first foray onto the Tarheel Tour after he graduated from Georgia with an NCAA team trophy in tow and turned professional in 2007. All he did was win Musgrove Mill Classic by one shot, joining Nationwide Tour player Kyle Reifers as the only other player to win in his first try. It also confirmed what many knew all along.

"To win a tournament like this reconfirms to me that I belong out here, playing with some of the best players in the country,'' he said after the victory.

And take his first season on the Nationwide Tour in 2008. It took him 15 starts, but Todd became a winner Sunday in the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank, scoring a runaway six-shot victory in record-setting fashion.

So why twiddle your thumbs waiting until the third time? Todd has a better idea. For him, the first is a charm.

"You know, I was thinking about all of that last night,'' Todd said late Sunday evening, less than an hour removed from his first trip to the Nationwide Tour's winner's circle. "There's got to be something to it.''

Ya think?

If truth is told, Todd made a big splash the first time he entered a Nationwide Tour event in '08 -- for three rounds anyway. A conditional member, Todd was given a sponsor's exemption into the Athens Regional Foundation Classic. Hard to figure how that happened for a highly decorated Bulldog, right?

Todd rewarded the sponsors and a joyous pack of woofing spectators by grabbing the 36-hole lead and a share of the 54-hole lead. But that's where the Cinderella story ends. Unfortunately the big splash became a big crash. His fans got to see a little more golf than they bargained for as Todd hit it 80 times, the first time he had failed to break 80 in a competitive round since he was in high school.

"In front of the hometown crowd too,'' Todd said, laughing. "Things just didn't go my way. I got some bad bounces too. But I took nothing but good things away from the week.''

Certainly the first three rounds provided a positive sign once again. Todd took it to mean he had plenty enough game to handle his business on the Nationwide Tour. He back up that tie for 25th with a trio of top 10s in his next six starts.

Then a funny thing happened on his way to Canada for the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung at the end of June. Todd's clubs went missing with the richest stretch in Nationwide Tour history in front of him. And they never have shown up, not even on eBay.

Showing amazing maturity, Todd accepted his fate, set about building a new set of sticks and went about missing three consecutive cuts.

"I kept practicing and kept my focus,'' he said. "Each week I seem to add another good club or two, a 3-wood, a 2-iron . . . I didn't like the clubs at first, but I do now.''

The final piece of the club puzzle fell into place when Scotty Cameron forged a replica Newport 2 putter. Todd's play improved markedly, touching off a torrid streak -- a tie for 16th, tie for 14th and tie for ninth -- culminated by the rookie's first victory. The putter also conspired with its own for a pair of final-round master strokes that kept 54-hole leader Todd's head above water early on when the tournament still was up for grabs.

"I made two good par savers -- a right-to-left slider from six feet and a 15-footer -- that kept me going,'' he said. "Without those the outcome might have been different. But it snowballed in a positive direction for me.''

Todd made 11 consecutive pars before blowing the doors open to the throne room with four birdies in the final eight holes. Throughout he was a picture of cool and calm.

"I stayed patient and stuck to my game plan,'' he said. "I knew the back nine set up well for me.''

Todd also harkened back to the experience gained from playing in the final group in Athens.

"I knew what it was like,'' he said. "I figured I had enough experience to win after 10 tournaments. This was my 15th. So there weren't going to be major surprises.''

The resounding victory turned a solid season into a very good one for a rookie who got a late start. His first-place check of $99,000 boosted him 38 places on the money list to 15th. He will earn PGA TOUR playing privileges in 2009 if he maintains his position among 'THE 25.' But he cannot rest on his laurels with $194,961 in official earnings. He needs a few thousand dollars more to be safe.

"I'm going to play in the rest of the events,'' Todd said. "If I keep the ball in front of me and make a few putts, I'll be fine.''