Dunlap Discovers the Plan

Most of the time, golf haunts Scott Dunlap.

It makes him edgy thinking about the small margins for error and how to avoid those errors. It makes his head spin, constantly thinking of ways to improve.

Now, for at least a week, he’ll have some peace.

Dunlap, a former $1-million winner on the PGA Tour, shot a final-round 66 on Sunday at Empire Lakes Golf Course in Rancho Cucamonga and won the Nationwide Tour Mark Christopher Charity Classic by three shots over Bubba Watson with a four-day total of 12-under 272.

It was the first victory in 245 career starts on the PGA and Nationwide Tours for Dunlap, 41, who has experienced many highs and lows throughout his career. Even so, he doesn’t plan any celebrations.

“For a lot of guys it’s party time, fiesta, champagne, this and that,” Dunlap said. “For me it’s just quiet, calm and relaxed.” Dunlap reached his peak in 2000, when he had five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, including the British Open, the PGA Championship and The Players Championship, and won $1.04 million.

He has struggled with his putter since and lost his PGA Tour card in 2002, when he made seven cuts in 30 events and finished 189th on the season money list.

Last year, he finished 81st on the Nationwide Tour money list and began this season with limited status. His last victory came in the 2001 Peru Open.

He entered this week 143rd on the season money list, but won $81,000 and jumped to No. 48 with $100,925.

The top 20 players on the final money list earn an automatic exemption to the 2005 PGA Tour. Nos. 21-35 are exempt to the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying school. There are four tournaments remaining.

“Hopefully this is something that’s a little bit of a springboard and I’ll be back on the PGA Tour next year,” Dunlap said. “Obviously that’s the place we all want to be.”