Kannapolis, NC – Clint Jensen of Jupiter, FL began the final round of the eGolf Professional Tour's Southern Open trailing overnight leader Colin Biles by four shots. After nine holes, he trailed Biles and Christo Greyling by one shot. After 19 holes, the former University of Tulsa star trailed no one. Jensen managed to curl in a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to claim his maiden eGolf Tour title and the $30,000 first-place prize.

Jensen, who joined the tour in April after the South Florida-based tour he was playing cancelled their summer tournaments, entered Friday's final round in the penultimate pairing and viewed it as a complete advantage.

"It was easier knowing that I had to do something today and didn't have to protect anything. I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could," said Jensen. "It was an advantage not playing in the final group, because I wound up not paying attention to (the leaders)."

Jensen began his final round at The Club at Irish Creek with birdies on four of his first nine holes to pull himself into contention. A quick bogey at the par-4 10th dropped him two shots behind Greyling, but those two shots would quickly expand.

While Jensen was able to get his lost shot back with a birdie at the par-4 12th, Greyling was making his move.

Birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 14 catapulted the South African into a rather commanding three-shot lead over Biles and a four-shot advantage over Jensen. However, inch by inch, Jensen kept eating away at the lead. A birdie on 14, then a birdie on 16, and all of a sudden, there was a golf tournament.

Jensen's move coincided with three significant events. First, Biles flew his tee shot over the green and into the hazard on the downhill par-3 15th, made a double-bogey, and fell out of the race. Second, Greyling bogeyed No. 16 to prove that the tournament was not over. Finally, Jeremy Pope, playing in the day's final pairing with Greyling and Biles, came out of nowhere with a Tiger-like tear while the world's No. 1 player was missing the cut overseas in the British Open.

Pope birdied 13, eagled 14, birdied 16 and all of a sudden trailed Greyling by three through 17 holes.

While the final group was standing on the 18th tee, Jensen was up ahead making a catastrophe of the last hole.

"On 18, I hit a 5-wood high right, hit a good shot to 12 feet for par and hit a bad putt after just cozying it down there," said Jensen, who was then forced to watch the final threesome through the trees on the club's veranda after carding a final-round 66.

Greyling attempted to look away as Jensen made bogey at 18 to fall two behind, but his attempt failed.

"I shouldn't have watched him make bogey on the last hole," said Greyling after the round. "I told myself I wasn't going to. I was just going to assume he was going to make par, and of course try to make bogey."

Making bogey always seems so easy, until you have to do so.

Greyling, the former No. 1-ranked junior golfer in the world, fanned his tee shot to the right and watched as Pope hit his tee shot to the middle of the green on the demanding 230-yard par-3.

"I tried to kill a 4-iron and came up a little short right in the rough, chipped on the green and it stayed on the ridge. From there, I three putted," said Greyling. "I was nervous. I haven't been in this position in a while."

While Greyling struggled, Pope shined. The Pawleys Island, SC resident coaxed his 54th-hole birdie try in the hole and immediately forced a sudden-death playoff between himself, Jensen and Greyling after they each finished at 13-under 200.

At the par-4 first, Greyling hit it down the middle, but Pope found the tree-blocked left rough and Jensen found the pine straw adjacent to those same trees.

Greyling's approach came up just short and under the hole, while Pope played a miraculous shot through the trees and up the rough, narrowly missing the hole before settling 20 feet behind it.

Last to hit was Jensen, and a low wedge under the tree with a slight draw was simply the right shot at the right time.

"It was set up by my drive in the left pine straw in the trees," joked Jensen, who laughed at his inability to hit the fairway. "I got a good break though, had an opening and had to keep my 54-degree wedge a little low; it came out the perfect distance about 10 feet right of the hole."

Pope was the first to putt and watched as his effort narrowly missed to the right.

From there, Greyling was next from the front fringe and left his attempt just short and left.

The stage was set for Jensen, and he did not disappoint. A 10-foot putt that was simply right edge and firm never had a doubt from the second it was hit.

"I just stepped up and hit a perfect putt."

For Jensen, the win validated months upon months of hard work. He was declared the un-official co-winner in the tour's rain-shortened Greater Richmond Open in June and then followed that up with a spot in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.

With the win, Jensen moved to No. 5 on the tour's 2009 money list with just over $58,000 in earnings.

"This win is up there," said Jensen. "The fields out here are really good every week. It just feels great."

Pope and Greyling finished tied for second and each earned $16,500 for their efforts.

Biles, who pared the last three after the round-crushing double-bogey at No. 15, wound up in solo fourth one shot out of the playoff and earned $10,000.

Former Masters Tournament participant Luke List, Brent Delahoussaye, Scott Brown and Lee Williams each finished tied for fifth and earned $6,800.

• The tour was fortunate to play at two great venues this week, and that certainly could not have happened without the support of both staffs. A special thanks goes to Irish Creek General Manager Jeff Austin, Irish Creek Head Golf Professional Alan Cress, Warrior Head Golf Professional Brian Lee, and their respective staffs for coordinating this event and hosting the tour and our players for the week. A special thanks also goes to Irish Creek Head Golf Course Superintendent Artie Helton and Warrior Head Golf Course Superintendent Mike Marsh for their efforts in presenting two fantastic courses.

• The tour heads to Greensboro, NC next week for the $220,000 Forest Oaks Classic on July 22-24 at Forest Oaks Country Club (Greensboro, NC) and High Point Country Club – Willow Creek Course (High Point, NC). This 54-hole event will feature a $220,000 purse and a winner's share of $30,000. In addition, the Forest Oaks Classic will be the second straight tournament featuring an exemption into the Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship.