He has three wins on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica circuit, but his last was eight years ago. He never broke through on the Korn Ferry Tour nor the PGA Tour.
On Sunday, Tim O’Neal, 52, earned the biggest victory of his career, winning the 2024 Dominion Energy Charity Classic on the PGA Tour Champions in his 50th start on the circuit.
It’s the first leg of the three-event Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs and his timing was clutch. He was sitting at 55th in the points, but only the top 54 advance to Round 2. O’Neal’s win catapulted him well inside that cut line after topping the field at The Country Club of Virginia.
O’Neal opened his week with a 1-under 71 and followed that up with a 5-under 67. He closed Sunday with a 7-under 65, a round that featured a front-nine 32. He then birdied the 10th before reeling off five straight pars. On the par-5 16th, O’Neal hit his tee shot into a bunker, but no biggie. He stuffed his third to about 10 feet and made the birdie putt to keep Gonzalez a shot back.
On 18, also a par 5, he drove it again into a fairway bunker but again got his third close and made another birdie to get to 13 under. He walked off the course with a two-shot lead over Gonzalez, who just missed making birdie putts on 16 and 17. That left Gonzalez needing to hole out from a bunker for an eagle at the last to force a playoff. Alas, he could not and O’Neal could then celebrate his signature victory.
“I don’t know, it was just how it was supposed to happen, I guess,” he said. “I’ve been playing well in the past few weeks, just giving too many shots back. The last two days was really solid. It only takes one week, right? I guess this is my week.”
David Bransdon shot a 5-under 67 to snag solo third at 9 under with vaulted him from 56th to 35 in the points race. Tim Petrovic was solo fourth at 8 under. Ernie Els, who leads the points race, finished tied for 20th.
The top 54 now advance to the Simmons Bank Championship in Little Rock, Arkansas, Oct. 25-27.
