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Price finds elusive win at MasterCard Colonial
PGAtour.com
May, 19 2002
 FORT
WORTH, Texas -- Nick Price no
longer has to doubt himself. He can still win on the PGA TOUR,
and he can do it in a big way.
Making big shots late after looking vulnerable, Price shot
a 3-under 67 Sunday in the MasterCard Colonial for his first
victory in four years.
"It feels like it's been 10 years. I didn't think this
day was going to come," Price said. "That self-doubt
has been cast away now. There's not pressure any more on me to
win because I've proven it to myself."
The 45-year-old player from Zimbabwe finished at 13-under
267, five strokes ahead of David Toms and Kenny Perry.
Price also took a five-stroke lead into the round, but
started the back nine just two ahead of Perry and Toms. Price
regained control with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 14, while his
closest competitors gave up strokes.
"I've had six or seven chances in the last two years
and for some rhyme or reason something always seemed to go
wrong," he said.
Not this time, even after consecutive bogeys to negate
birdies on the first two holes.
After a three-putt at No. 5, Price's drive at the 393-yard
sixth hole plugged just below the lip in a fairway bunker. He
then hit his drive at No. 7 into the right rough.
"I had a chat with myself walking down No. 7," he
said. "I said, `I'm not going to make any more mistakes.
That's it. I'm just going to make birdies and pars.' And I
did. Sometimes you just reach deep down."
It was the 17th PGA TOUR win for Price, but his first since
the 1998 FedEx St. Jude Classic and the biggest career payday
on the TOUR at $774,000. He also won the MasterCard Colonial
in 1994, when he was the world's No. 1 player and also won the
British Open and PGA Championship .
Toms (66) and Perry (67) tied for second at 8 under and got
$378,400 each. Dudley Hart , after his second 65 in three
days, was fourth at 7 under.
After Price drove into a fairway bunker and found the rough
on the 609-yard 11th hole, he sank a 35-foot birdie putt. He
then made another long birdie putt on the 433-yard 12th.
Price two-putted for par on the 178-yard 13th and then put
the tournament out of reach, getting to 13 under with a
chip-in birdie on the 457-yard 14th after he pitched his
second shot over the green.
"When I made par on 13 and saw what happened in front
of me, I knew I just had to stay upright the last five
holes," Price said.
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