From Deseret News archives:
Todd makes title look easy
Who knows, they probably would still be playing today.
Six golfers finished at 16-under-par 268 and another six finished at 269 with another five players a stroke back at 270.
All those golfers bunched together would have made for a thrilling final day if Todd hadn't already lapped the field with a tournament-record, 22-under 262 total, six shots — light years in a Nationwide Tour event — ahead of the field.
Todd's six-shot victory is almost unheard of. Only six times in the 18-year-history of the Nationwide Tour has a golfer won by more than six shots. "I'm ecstatic," said Todd, who was greeted on the final green with a hug from his fiance, Rachel. "It's an emotional win because as hard as we work to get out to this tour and as hard as it is to get on top on this tour. I was really waiting for it to be my week."
It was definitely Todd's week from his first round when he started with an eagle and four birdies. The 23-year-old from Atlanta was in the lead at 9-under par with three holes to play Thursday when he started thinking about shooting a crazy number like 59. Instead he bogeyed two of the last three holes and didn't birdie the par-5 17th and shot a 64 which left him one shot off the lead.
"I learned a lot from that day," Todd said. "That was my goal the last three days to eliminate my bogeys and I did it."
Well, almost.
After making those late bogeys in Round 1, Todd made just one more bogey over his final 54 holes — the 9th hole Friday — while making 16 birdies.
Todd started the final round a shot ahead of Marc Leishman at 18-under par and two shots ahead of PGA Tour regular Kyle Thompson. They were well on front of Jonathan Fricke, another three shots back and a group of four at 12-under.
With Thompson struggling early — he played the front nine in 1-over par — the tournament quickly turned into a two-man duel between Todd and Leishman, a 24-year-old from Australia.
After nine holes, Todd's lead was up to two, thanks to a birdie at No. 3, while Leishman had all pars. At No. 10, Leishman had a chance to cut into the lead but missed a 3-foot putt. Then at No. 12 Leishman hit his ball out of bounds to the right — it was just one foot out — and that gave Todd the cushion he needed.
When Todd hit it close at No. 13 and made birdie to go to 20-under par, he had a four-shot lead on the field.
"The one at 13 really gave me the big boost I needed," he said. "It definitely freed me up to take advantage and finish it."
