Paul Barjon unlocks his counter during the Huntsville Championship on Korn Ferry Tour, and opens a royal road for a next season on the PGA Tour.

Paul Barjon takes victory at Huntsville Championship

Paul Barjon - © Korn Ferry Tour

Paul Barjon stayed the course and knew how to remain patient. The Frenchman has played his game, one that has led him to three wins on the Mackenzie Tour, as well as a trio of T2 on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

And when the decisive moment arrived on the third hole of the playoff, from 192 meters on the par-5 of the 10, Barjon, author of an eagle, won his first victory on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“It was definitely one of my best shots. I made a few birdies this week, but at this time of day, hitting an eagle is really amazing ”, said Paul Barjon. “It came close to that in the past two years. You have to be a little lucky. If you're unlucky… if Billy (Kennerly) had made his first putt on the playoff hole, it was over. It tilted in my favor, and I managed to score. "

From the start, it looked like Barjon was going to fail. His approach to the first hole rolled to the left side of the green and ended in the water hazard. Paul Barjon made his first double bogey of the week, bringing a host of players back in the title race.

Barjon bounced back with a birdie on 4 (par-5), but a Pereira eagle left them tied at 13 under par. As Barjon played the last five holes of the nine to go 1 over par, Pereira made three birdies and built a three-stroke lead (and a four-stroke advantage over Barjon).

“It was definitely a tough start. This is not really what I expected ”, said Barjon. “I was getting my butt kicked. I just tried to stick to what we said, with my caddy, keep the same clubs as originally planned. I wasn't too aggressive on the tee shots and it paid off. We hit a few good shots that I thought were going to come in. I knew I still had a chance. "

Paul Barjon offered himself birdies at 11 and 12. Then Pereira faltered.

As Pereira descended back into the field with two consecutive bogeys, Barjon erased his bogey at the 13th par-3 with birdies at 14s and 17s, with the second tying a three-way tie for first place at -15.

Barjon and Pereira both missed birdie putts within inches that could have secured them the tournament at the 72nd hole, resulting in a playoff with Kennerly, who tied the tournament's best round with a score of 63, 7 under par.

On the first hole of the playoff, Kennerly had the best chance of winning. All three settled for par and returned to the 18th tee. Barjon and Pereira pulled off in the second round, as Kennerly's approach strayed to the back of the green and led to a bogey.

While the playoff was only two, Paul Barjon was the first to play from the 10th fairway. He then realizes the coup of the tournament.

"It always feels good to win, no matter which Tour you play", said Barjon. “It sucks not to win. I would have been frustrated. These are just small things. If you give yourself a putt to win, like in # 10, it will eventually come in. "

Combined with a top 3 quartet, Barjon's victory drops him from 15th to 6th place in the Korn Ferry Tour 2020-21 points standings, almost certainly securing his first PGA TOUR card.

With this first victory in the Korn Ferry Tour under his belt, Paul Barjon already has a new plan.

"We are all competitors, so you want to finish first at the end of the year", said Barjon. “I want to finish first on the Korn Ferry Tour and get the best possible status on the PGA Tour. That will be my goal now. "

Barjon no longer needs to stay the course. He is now in uncharted territory.

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