ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Brendon de Jonge used an exquisite short game to bail him out of trouble and propel him to victory in the Xerox Classic, his first career Nationwide Tour title. De Jonge carded a 1-under-par 69 to finish four rounds at Irondequoit Country Club at 13-under 267, four strokes better than Australian Jarrod Lyle (69), who was seeking his third win of the 2008 Nationwide Tour season.

"This is such a tough golf course that sometimes when you hit a good shot it doesn't end up in a good spot," said de Jonge, who was tied for 29th in hitting greens but first in putting. "My short game was probably the best it's ever been for a whole week. It was just one of those weeks."

Ricky Barnes (66), England's Greg Owen (71) and rookie Jonathan Fricke (71) shared third place at 8-under 272. Five players tied for sixth place, six strokes back of de Jonge, who collected $108,000 for the win, bumping him from No. 12 to No. 2 on the season money list. The 25 leading money-winners at the end of the year will earn their PGA TOUR cards for 2009.

"I'm very excited," said de Jonge, a Zimbabwe-born transplant who now calls Charlotte, N.C., home. "It was about as hard as I thought it would be."

De Jonge began the final day with a three-stroke lead that disappeared quickly with bogeys on the first two holes, opening the door for Owen to first take the lead before Lyle assumed the leader's position.

"I knew the back nine was tough," said de Jonge. "I figured if I shot around par on those last holes I'd be close, especially with the wind swirling around in the trees."

De Jonge did better than that, posting a 2-under 33 that vaulted him past a faltering Lyle, who bogeyed three of his final six holes. Fricke was within two at the turn but a 2-over 37 on the inward nine ruined his chances.

Time after time, de Jonge's touch around the greens proved to be the difference during Sunday's pressure-packed round. He got up and down for birdie on the par-5 ninth after pitching to within tap-in range from 40 yards to get within one of Lyle, who had eagled the hole minutes earlier.

The shot of the day came at the reachable par-4 12th, which measured only 298 yards. De Jonge's tee shot landed in the front bunker but was in a horrible lie and all he could do was blast out, leaving his ball on a steep uphill lie.

"I didn't think that was a makeable chip," said de Jonge, who pitched in from an improbable lie to close out Saturday's third round. "It was about 30 feet with at least five feet of break. It's nice to be able to be a little more aggressive knowing you're chipping and putting well."

When de Jonge's ball found the cup for birdie, he figured something was going his way.

"I'd be lying if I said that it didn't cross my mind when I chipped in," he said. "When it's your week, it's your week."

It's been more than a week for the 28-year old former Virginia Tech standout who has now posted par-or-better scores in 26 of his last 28 rounds and is a combined 79 under in that stretch. In his last four starts, he has finished tied for third, tied for 18th, fifth and first with a scoring average of 67.8.

"This is the best lengthy stretch of golf I've played in my life," he said after saving par seven times during his stroll to victory.

"You've got to make the most of your opportunities and Brendon obviously did that," said Lyle, who has now held the No. 1 spot on the money list for eight consecutive weeks and 16 total weeks this year. "He's too good a player to be hanging around this Tour too much longer."

Final-Round News & Notes: Gibby Gilbert III played a single this morning and completed 18 holes in just 1:44. Gilbert shot a 1-under par 69. The next group, a twosome, was on the 11th tee when Gilbert finished. The PGA TOUR does not keep any records regarding the shortest time needed to play a single round. ... Players who were bogey-free for the final round: Bob May (66), Brendon Todd (66). ... Ricky Barnes shot a final-round 66 to finish at 8-under 272. The finish moved Barnes up from No. 30 to No. 19 on the money list. ... Hunter Haas also posted a 66 and moved up to a tie for sixth. Haas wound up at 7 under par and moved up from No. 40 to No. 32 on the money list. ... Scott Piercy birdied the final hole Sunday for a 2-under 68 and a tie for sixth, one week after capturing his first career title at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open. The finish helped Piercy move up from No. 35 to No. 31 on the money list. Two weeks ago, Piercy was No. 123 on the money list.

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