Landry wins, Gibson leads Oklahoma contingent in Great Abaco Classic

GREAT ABACO, The Bahamas — Former Arkansas golfer Andrew Landry was just 2-over after seven holes Wednesday after entering the final round with a share of the lead, but the 29-year-old Texan posted two eagles on the way in to come from behind for a three-shot victory over Jimmy Gunn at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club. Landry, the 18-hole leader at the 2016 U.S. Open, played his last 11 holes in 7-under to lock up his second career Web.com Tour victory with a 16-under 272 total.

“It’s just something that you hope for starting the year off, getting off to a really good start, and trying to accomplish your goals that you set every year,” Landry said. “It’s just one of the many goals that I’ve had, and I’ve got two more to win to get back on the PGA TOUR.”

Golfers with Oklahoma ties to make the cut included Rhein Gibson of Edmond, tied for 15th at 6-under par, former University of Oklahoma golfer Abraham Ancer, tied for 24th at 4-under, Chris Worrell of Jenks, tied for 44th at even par, and former OU golfer Michael Gellerman, tied for 56th at 3-over.

After bogeys at Nos. 2 and 7, Landry hit a 7-iron 15 feet left of the pin at the par-5 eighth and buried his first eagle. One hole later, he followed it up with a 20-foot birdie at the ninth to turn in 1-under and tie Chase Parker for the lead.

“We were just having a little bit of an issue reading it, and I just played it dead straight and hit a great putt, and it barely snuck in the right edge there,” Landry said of the first eagle. “It just kept the momentum going. I knew I was putting well, but my speed was just a bit off the first seven holes. We were just fortunate to get that to go in. I made that 20-footer on nine, and we just started rolling — hitting some good shots, hitting some great iron shots and making putts and getting it up and down.”

When Parker poured in a birdie three groups ahead on No. 14 to briefly take the solo lead, Landry stuck his approach to four feet on No. 13 for the birdie and followed it up with the self-proclaimed best shot of his life — a 3-wood from 260 yards to four feet — for his second eagle of the day to take the lead for good.

This week’s victory is the conclusion of an up-and-down two months for Landry. He got married the week before the final stage of Q-School and showed up rusty after not practicing for six days. It showed, he said, and he had to chip-in on two of his final four holes to make it on the number and finish inside the top 45 to guarantee himself starts in the first eight events. In the first start of the season in Exuma, he missed the cut with rounds of 87-77 and then found out his grandfather had passed away back at home. So throughout this week, he was playing for his grandfather.

“Obviously, he was a big part of my life, and he was a big-time sports fan,” Landry said with tears welling up in his eyes. “Just really nice to pull one through for him.”