Recap and Results

Noh secures PGA TOUR card with win at Nationwide Children's Hospital Champ.

On Saturday, Seung-Yul Noh spoke of returning to his home in South Korea should be win the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Sunday. Mission accomplished. Noh will return to his home in Seoul for the first time since last December secure in knowing he has wrapped up his PGA TOUR card for the 2013-14 campaign with his victory.

The 22-year-old Noh closed out the third of four events in the Web.com Tour Finals with a 2-under-par 69 and cruised to a record five-stroke victory over Edward Loar at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course. Noh finished with a 72-hole total of 12-under-par 272. John Peterson finished third overall, six strokes back.

Noh’s five-stroke margin of victory was the largest in the event’s history, surpassing the previous mark of two strokes by Daniel Summerhays in the inaugural tournament in 2007. It was Noh’s first victory in the United States.

“I got started pretty solidly today and then I made a bogey on the third hole and I had just a one-shot lead after four holes,” Noh recalled. “I just started thinking to just keep going and play like it’s the first round. I wasn’t nervous today and felt very comfortable.”

After a somewhat sluggish start that saw him 1-over-par after four holes, Noh posted three consecutive birdies on Nos. 5-7 to give himself some breathing room over his challengers. He was never really threatened after that as some of those giving chase failed to gain any ground on the two-time Asian Tour winner.

“The birdie on No. 5 was the turning point,” Noh added. “I hit a 5-iron to about four feet and then on No. 6, I made about a 35-40-footer for another birdie.”

Noh was the only player in the starting field who posted four sub-par rounds and he made just four bogeys over his final 54 holes. He finished the tournament leading all players in greens in regulation, hitting 56 of 72 (77.8%).

Edward Loar’s 6-under-par 65 was the day’s low round and it helped the former Oklahoma State star jump from T17 after three rounds to a solo second-place finish, his best finish since his victory at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in March.

“I was able to get a few birdies early and kind of got in a nice rhythm,” Loar said. “Today was huge, absolutely. I got another chance in Sawgrass (TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley) to move up some more on the list, but today’s finish ought to move me up a bit.”

John Peterson continued his stellar play, finishing third overall following a 5-under-par 66. It was his fourth consecutive top-five finish in his last four starts. He is also the only player to finish in the top-10 in the first three Web.com Tour Finals.

“I didn’t really get anything going in the first three rounds and I actually had to battle just to make the cut on Friday. It was nice that it finally turned around today,” Peterson said. “I’m not sure what turned it around today, I really don’t. I made a couple of putts and I hit it close today.”

With the last of the four Web.com Tour Finals slated for the week of Sept. 23-29 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Peterson will enjoy a week off which can’t come soon enough for the LSU product.

“I’m going to the Auburn game on Saturday and I can’t wait,” Peterson added. “I’m out of gas. I am. I’m out of gas.”

Peterson was referring to the fact he had played in the last nine Web.com Tour events.

The Web.com Tour Finals are a four-event series that features a blend of Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR players vying for 50 PGA TOUR cards and positioning for the upcoming 2013-14 TOUR season.