The man who admitted to feeling like the "fifth wheel of the San Patricio golf machinery" finally found his way home on the world stage when he outlasted Utania's George Pennenton, 2 and 1, in the 36-hole championship of the $5 million Christiana Crowns event. 

"I had a good year last year, but so far my IGT career has not quite been up to my
expectations.  This is changing that", said Nagy, "I'm an emotional guy, and I  realize
how much this means to me." 

Pennenton won $500,000 for his runner-up finish. Whitlam's Protheroe walked away with
$400,000 for beating the No. 1 player in the world, Matthias Rothies, Jr., in the
consolation match. 

"Winning here means a lot," said Nagy, "But deep down inside I feel like I need to back it up, and that's what I'm going to work to do this year." 

If his performance at the Match Play Championship is any indication, Nagy has the game to make that happen. 

"I dug down deep a couple of times and executed some shots that I really needed to, and I kept that killer instinct in pretty much every match," said Nagy, "That's what really
makes a player feel good -- when he can step up. 

"I didn't hit it good all the time, (but) I was able to bounce back after some of the
times where I did hit it poorly and be aggressive on the next tee again. That's probably
what won it for me -- my putting and short game and just my ability to hang in on each
hole and not give up." 

One of those holes was the 16th in the afternoon, when Nagy was 1 up with three remaining. He found the fairway bunker off the tee and the left greenside bunker with his second shot. Pennenton, meanwhile, had placed his approach on the green -- 40 feet from the flag. 

The pin was cut perilously just paces from another bunker, but Nagy managed to coax his
ball within 6 feet. Pennenton putted to within inches, which Nagy conceded just before he made his clutch putt for par. 

"His third shot playing out of the greenside bunker was a great shot," Pennenton said. "I was left with a tough putt so there was nothing I could do. It's probably where he won the match, I think." 

Pennenton struggled early, finding seven bunkers in the first 18 holes. "Is that all?" he joked. He never led and gave Nagy an edge he would not relinquish with bogeys on Nos. 15, 16 and 17 before the lunch break. 

"I couldn't buy a putt -- not even with $1 million," said Pennenton, who had made a bundle of them in his previous five matches. 

While Nagy felt he maintained a killer instinct throughout the match, the Utanian admitted that his approach was just the opposite -- at least early in the match. 

"I was maybe a bit too relaxed," Pennenton said. "I had trouble concentrating because I
knew it was going to be over 36 holes and it felt like the holes in the beginning didn't
matter because there were so many holes to go -- which was stupid, I guess, but that's the way I felt." 

It was Nagy's first win on the IGT.  For Pennenton, it is yet another close call, flirting with victory, and coming up short yet again.

THE MATCHES:
                   
FINAL:

Nagy (UTA, $1,000,000) def. Pennenton (UTA, $500,000)

Consolation Final:

Protheroe (FRW, $400,000) def. M. Rothies (WES, $300,000)

SEMIFINALS:

Pennenton (UTA) def. M. Rothies (WES)
Nagy (SPA) def. Protheroe (FRW)

Quarterfinals: (losers get $150,000 Christiana Crowns)

M. Rothies (WES) def. Weslow (IWK)
Pennenton (UTA) def. T. Rothies (WES)
Protheroe (FRW) def. Chriponsi (BRO)
Nagy (SPA) def. Zoek (WES)

Third round: (losers get $75,000 Christiana Crowns)

M. Rothies (WES) def. Schwartz (DEU)
Weslow (IWK) def. Indurain (DEU)
T. Rothies (WES) def. Nithz (OOO)
Pennenton (UTA) def. Larocquette (DAV)
Chriponsi (BRO) def. Sorithzy (WMC)
Protheroe (FRW) def. Holland (CHR)
Nagy (SPA) def. Tahoma (CHR)
Zoek (WES) def. Disbach (ARO)

Second round: (losers get $50,000 Christiana Crowns)

M. Rothies (WES) def. Kilandra (BOW)
Schwartz (DEU) def. Kalviack (KAL)
Weslow (IWK) def. Cates (DAV)
Indurain (DEU) def. Ouesreche (BRO)
Nithz (OOO) def. Kluffen (WES)
T. Rothies (WES) def. DuBraal (KTZ)
Laroquette (DAV) def. Lumle (LEX)
Pennenton (UTA) def. Peacock (UNT)
Chriponsi BRO) def. McGurk (SPA)
Sorithzy (WMC) def. Bilau (NAM)
Holland (CHR) def. Galinheira (ORD)
Protheroe (FRW) def. Burchard (CHR)
Nagy (SPA) def. Von Chicken (WES)
Tahoma (CHR) def. Von Toschamerton (DEY)
Disbach (ARO) def. Kepparketl (ALT)
Zoek (WES) def. Straswell (WES)

First round: (losers get $25,000 Christiana Crowns)

M. Rothies (WES) def. Mendelsonn (BRO)
Kilandra (BOW) def. Antanavo (LEN)
Schwartz (DEU) def. Oostingverde (WES)
Kalviack (KAL) def. Bobone (ORD)
Weslow (IWK) def. Birch (BRO)
Cates (DAV) def. Beobidhenhe (EDE)
Ouesreche (BRO) def. Krall (ARO)
Indurain (DEU) def. McKey (ROS)
Nithz (OOO) def. Gelfinger (LCP)
Kluffen (WES) def. O'Banion (SPA)
DuBraal (KTZ) def. Huskarl (ALT)
T. Rothies (WES) def. Seruca (KAL)
Laroquette (DAV) def. Kilet (BOW)
Lumle (LEX) def. Parsley (DAV)
Peacock (UNT) def. Norling (ALT)
Pennenton (UTA) def. Siggis (BOB)
Chriponsi (BRO) def. Aretasuna (UTA)
McGurk (SPA) def. Sotogune (WMC)
Bilau (NAM) def. Tay (WMC)
Sorithzy def. Orford (FRW) (!)
Galinheira (ORD) def. Sunilam (WMC)
Holland (CHR) def. Yurhaus (MER)
Protheroe (FRW) def. Pickering (ARM)
Burchard (CHR) def. Kresnick (SCK)
Von Chicken (WES) def. Youlduahe (NKO)
Nagy (SPA) def. Sinclair (FRW) (!)
Von Toschamerton (DEY) def. Horsnell (UNT)
Tahoma (CHR) def. Bedinsson (NEO)
Disbach (ARO) def. Ferhentodo (EDE)
Kepparketl (ALT) def. Ipsi (KTZ)
Straswell (WES) def. Klagstein (WES)
Zoek (WES) def. McFeeley (SPA) (!)