Blanks withstands May's rally to win Bank of America Open by a shot

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GLENVIEW, Ill. -- Kris Blanks' entry in the Nationwide Tour media guide states that his biggest thrill in golf hasn't occurred yet. That all changed this week in the Windy City as he was the last man standing at the $750,000 Bank of America Open -- the 550th event during the 19-year history of the Tour.

Kris Blanks is achieving Nationwide Tour success in his mid-30s. (Boehm/Getty Images)

Inside the Numbers

Blanks' Final Stats

Category Total Rank Eagles 1 T5 Birdies 21 T5 Pars 43 T42 Bogeys 7 T44 Double Bogeys 0 N/A Other 0 N/A Driving Accuracy 73.2% T16 Driving Distance 293.0 yds. 26 Putts per Round 30.3 51 Putts per GIR 1.738 25 Greens in Regulation 84.7% T1 Sand Saves 66.7% T10

Blanks entered the final round in a three-way tie with Skip Kendall (76) and David McKenzie (72) -- but rose to the top of the final standings thanks to a solid 4-under 68, which included five birdies and just one bogey. At 16-under 272, Blanks finished one shot clear of Bob May (64) and three ahead of Casey Wittenberg (68) and Brendon de Jonge (69).

"This is pretty special," said the 35-year-old native of Warner Robbins, Ga. "Thirty-four years of work to get here today."

Blanks entered the week riding the wave of a six-event cuts made streak and three consecutive top-25 finishes -- including a then-season-best tie for eighth-place finish at the Fort Smith Classic. That momentum carried the former bartender to an opening 7-under 65. He couldn't match that score the rest of the week, but solid rounds of 70-69-68 turned out to be enough to propel Blanks into the winner's circle for the first time on the Nationwide Tour.

"I knew if I just kept my composure everything would be all right," said Blanks, who hit all 18 greens in regulation. "For four days, this is as good as I've ever hit it."

Blanks had to withstand a furious rally by PGA TOUR veteran May, who turned in a bogey-free 8-under 64. A birdie on the final hole moved the 2000 PGA Championship runner-up into the clubhouse lead at 15-under 273, forcing Blanks to birdie one of the final holes to seize sole possession of the lead. He did just that in spectacular fashion, rolling an 8-iron to within one foot of the hole for the kick-in birdie.

"I knew with the wind blowing there would be some good scores today," said Blanks. "The guys were making runs left and right. I was just hoping they would run out of holes."

With the victory, Blanks collects $135,000 and leaps from No. 31 to No. 5 on the official money list, with $205,505. More importantly, he moves a step closer to earning one of the coveted 25 PGA TOUR cards for the 2009 season. If history repeats itself, Blanks should achieve his dream of reaching golf's ultimate stage -- as the winner of the Bank of America Open has never failed to graduate to the TOUR.

"I can't even imagine what it will feel like to tee it up in Hawaii next year," said Blanks, who has never teed it up in a TOUR event. "I know I'm good enough. It will just be a matter of getting over the mental obstacles. But I'm not going to look at the PGA TOUR just yet. I hope to make a couple more dollars out here before the year is over."

Incidentally, Blanks' most important moment in golf on Sunday occurred on the same par-72 Glen Club course where he finished a then-career best third in 2007 to earn status on the Nationwide Tour.

"I had a good finish here last year that propelled me to get on this Tour," said Blanks, who earned his spot in last year's field as a Monday Qualifier. "There aren't really any holes or shots on this course that don't suit my eye. Last year everyone kept talking about how high the grass was. I'll probably jinx myself, but in eight rounds I've never hit it in the high stuff."

At 35, Blanks -- a three-time winner on the Hooters Tour -- is achieving success later in life than many of the young, up-and-coming stars of the Nationwide Tour. But nevertheless, he's happy with the progress his game continues to show -- and for having the opportunity of competing on Tour.

"I've sort of taken the Tom Lehman approach to my career," said Blanks. "I was a late starter. I didn't get on Tour until my 30s. But I've got the same story of guys in golf shops all over the country ... people who couldn't find a sponsor. If you're not playing in tournaments, it doesn't matter if you're shooting 64."

Final-Round News & Notes: Kris Blanks credited his wife, Tami (a golf professional at Sea Pines CC in Hilton Head, S.C.) for his victory on Sunday. Tami Blanks walked the final round with Blanks a week ago in Maryland and convinced her husband that his game was in great shape and that there was nothing he needed to work on. "She told me it was all there for me to win on this Tour." ... Bob May has now finished runner-up six times in his career on the PGA TOUR (3) and Nationwide Tour (3) without a victory. His most memorable second-place finish came in his head-to-head battle with Tiger Woods at the 2000 PGA Championship, an event he lost in a playoff to the world's top-ranked player. ... May has been battling back injuries ever since the 2003 EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Incidentally, he injured his back that year on the 18th hole when he shot an 8-under 64 (the same score posted Sunday). ... Kris Blanks is the 13th different winner in as many tournaments this season. ... The 54-hole leader at the Bank of America Open has now won four of seven times. ... The final-round scoring average was 70.277, while the cumulative average for the week was 71.446. The par-3 11th hole ranked as the toughest this week, yielding a 3.261 average. ... The Nationwide Tour heads to North Carolina this week for the Rex Hospital Open, the 14th event of the season. A year ago, Kyle Thompson stepped into the winner's circle for the first time in Raleigh with a two-stroke win over Bob Burns.