News: Nationwide Tour

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. — Ken Duke will return to the PGA TOUR for the first time since 2009.

The veteran stayed patient at the Ralston Creek Course on Sunday to shoot the only round in the 60s in windy conditions.

“[The wind] laid down and sure there’s a few tough shots out there,” he said. “You just had to hit some decent shots.

“It just seems like the last few weeks I’ve been playing pretty good. The golf courses that we played were very demanding on the driver and putting and the greens were great.”

He entered the final day one stroke back, but a call from coach Bob Toski gave him some confidence.

“‘I  watched every shot yesterday and the wind blew hard. And if it blows hard again, you’ll win. These guys aren’t flighting the ball the way you do,” Toski told him.

Duke birdied the par-5 third hole, but it was an eagle on the fifth that really got him going.

“I didn’t birdie that hole the whole week,” he said. “I made about a 30 footer and that kinda set it off. Now I just gotta hold on.”

Duke hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in his final-round 68.

He made bogey on 11 and 16 but was able to stay in the lead.

“You know the holes you can birdie, you know the holes you gotta make par on,” he said. “It was just great that no one was putting any presusre on me.”

Duke had made his last three cuts coming into this event, and had two top-3 finishes during the season. He was 36th on the money list entering this week, and was the only player to play his way into The 25.

Now he’s just looking forward to getting back to the PGA TOUR.

“I enjoy it out there. It’s a great family,” he said. “I feel like my golf game fits better for that TOUR than this Tour. You have to drive it good out there and that’s what I did the last few days — get the ball in the fairway.”