Tour rookie Beljan defies medical advice to claim victory

Tour rookie Charlie Beljan clung on for his maiden victory at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic – just two days…

Tour rookie Charlie Beljan clung on for his maiden victory at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic – just two days after being taken to hospital following a reported panic attack.

Beljan was hospitalised after complaining of shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate during his second-round 64, and told pgatour.com: "I thought I literally had a chance to die."

He defied medical advice by continuing in the tournament, and justified his decision by going on to claim a two-stroke win after finishing on 16 under par at Magnolia Golf Club in Florida.

Beljan pulled clear with four successive birdies from the seventh, putts of 17 feet at the seventh and 29 at the ninth sandwiching a tap-in at the eighth where he hit his approach to a foot.

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He picked up further shots at 10 and 12 to lead by five strokes but then came back to the field when he double-bogeyed the straightforward 13th after dumping his tee-shot in the water.

He bounced back with his eighth birdie of the round at the next and despite a closing bogey, a round of 69 was enough for victory.

Matt Every and Robert Garrigus finished joint second on 14 under after final rounds of 68, with Brian Gay a further shot back after shooting 70.