MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Justin Leonard sure knows how to make things interesting.
Leonard frittered away most of the largest lead on the PGA Tour this year before pulling out a one-stroke victory over David Toms in the St. Jude Classic on Sunday, the first wire-to-wire win of his career and the second on tour this year.
Starting with an eight-stroke lead, Leonard closed with a 3-over 73 to finish at 14-under 266 and earn his second title of the year and 10th of his career.
It's the second time Leonard didn't record a birdie in his final round and still won, the last at 2002 in Hilton Head when he became the first tour winner to do that in seven years. He hit only five of 18 greens in regulation.
Toms, the two-time defending champion here, helped spice up the final holes with a 63 that included four birdies, an eagle and a bogey on the back nine. He waited on the practice range and signed autographs while waiting to see if Leonard would slip enough to force a playoff.
But Leonard chipped within 7 feet and sunk the putt for par on the par-4 17th, then hit into a fairway bunker then put his second shot 44 yards short of the green in the rough in front of the grandstands.
Leonard took relief with a drop, then chipped over a bunker within 34 feet and putted out from less than 4 feet for bogey and the victory. He picked his ball up out of the hole, then fell back onto the green in relief.
The Texan, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic winner in January, joined some select company with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and Kenny Perry as multiple winners on the tour this year. It's the first time Leonard has won two events in a year since 1997 when he took the Kemper Open and the British Open.
He pocketed the winner's $882,000 check by becoming only the third wire-to-wire winner in the 48-year history of the tournament, joining Bob Estes (2001) and Dave Hill (1967).
Fred Funk (68) was third at 271, while Davis Love III (68) and Heath Slocum (71) tied for fourth at 272.
Toms, who pulled off his own six-stroke victory here last year, ran out of holes in trying to become the first player on tour to win the same event three straight years since Tiger Woods.
Toms birdied the par-4 10th to pull within seven strokes. Then he bounced his tee shot on the par-3 11th off the back of the island green and into the water for bogey.
He rebounded with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to get to 10 under - the only person other than Leonard to get double digits below par. Toms then eagled the par-5, 519-yard 16th by sinking a 7-foot putt, and chipped in for birdie from 64 feet on No. 17.
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