By Bill Cooney, PGATOUR.COM ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- The
fist pump Charlie Beljan let out on the 18th hole was worthy of a
victory. Turns out, Beljan’s finish at The McGladrey Classic
on Sunday was a victory of sorts. Beljan made a tricky 4-footer on
the 72nd hole to close out a final-round 65 that could result in a
top-10 finish, important because Beljan entered this week 150th on
the money list.
His good play will move him into the top 140 on
the money list and likely guarantee him conditional status on
the PGA TOUR in 2013. The top 125 earn full exemptions while Nos.
126 to 150 get some status. “That was big,” the
28-year-old Beljan said of his final putt. “The thing was, at
The Greenbrier I tied for third and I missed a 5-footer on the last
hole for like another 150-grand. So I had that on my mind.
It’s just a 4-footer, just keep your head down and hit it in.
And that thing went in and it was just relief.” Beljan had
missed five of his past seven cuts on TOUR since The Greenbrier
Classic. He and wife Merisa also recently welcomed their first
child into the world on Sept. 12, a baby boy named Graham. Now
Beljan can take a deep breath before he tees it up at the
season’s final event, the Children's Miracle Network
Hospitals Classic near Disney World in early November.
“Extremely happy. I couldn’t be happier,” Beljan
said. “I hit it wonderful. I just haven’t made
anything. There was a lot on my mind. “With my finish today,
I’m going to Disney with the 125 in the back of my mind.
It’s a wonderful thing.”