Madison, Wisconsin native Jerry Kelly entered the final round of the American Family Insurance Championship trailing leader Miguel Angel Jimenez by two strokes.

The leaderboard was loaded with big names at the top, Jimenez in the lead at -10, Fred Couples sitting in solo second at -9 and Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk tied with Kelly at -8.

The leaderboard stood as it did thanks in large part to a Kelly double-bogey on Saturday’s final hole—the slip-up coming after he had played his first 35 holes bogey-free. Then, after his first hole on today’s picture-perfect Sunday, he slipped even further, missing the green with his approach and finishing with a bogey to drop back to -7.

After that, it was all systems go for the defending champion.

He birdied the Par-5 5th, Par-3 3rd and Par-5 9th to enter the back nine at -10, still two back of Jimenez. Then a scalding-hot stretch on the back nine with birdies at 11, 12, 14 and 16 sent him into the solo lead at -14 stepping to the 18th tee.

Chasing him at the time was 2017 champion Fred Couples, former World No. 1 and Masters champion. As Kelly was teeing off on the final hole, Couples stuck his tee shot on the Par-3 17th to three feet and went on to birdie his way into a tie for the lead.

It’s all you can ask for in a golf tournament: a co-lead on the 18th hole with only putts left to decide a champion.

Kelly, in the group ahead of Couples, had to do just that. After a short chip got away, a mid-range par putt was necessary to stay at -14.

Kelly for par on 18…

Electricity. pic.twitter.com/R8mt5k5X7Y

— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) June 13, 2021

 

He made it, and put pressure on Couples in the group behind to match his total.

Just minutes later, Couples’ approach from the left rough ran through the 18th green. His attempt at a low-running chip then sailed by the hole, leaving a similar distance as Kelly had to save his par.

Couples misses, Madison native Jerry Kelly repeats at the @amfamchamp pic.twitter.com/3Hmrr9LXOq

— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) June 13, 2021

 

His putt stayed high, giving the trophy back to the hometown hero and now two-time defending champion.

“Well, 17 I hit a good shot. 18, I’ve been there before, I don’t mind driving it over there,” Couples said after the round. “Then I chose to be long coming back this way. I knew I wasn’t going to get it close and it just came out hot and rolled through the green. I thought I was putting and then chipped it strong and pushed the putt and that was it.”

Kelly’s finishing score of 66 gave him the one-shot victory. Couples and Jimenez tied for second at -13 and Furyk and Goosen tied for fourth at -12.

“Can’t get any better than this,” Kelly said after the win. “After doubling the 18th hole yesterday and bogeying the first hole, I was reeling a little bit, and those two birdies settled me down and just tried to grind as hard as I could. It means so much for me to win around here, and now twice, I’m over the moon.”

The win is Kelly’s eighth on the PGA Champions Tour and No. 11 total as a PGA professional.

The AmFam Championship will be back at University Ridge Golf Course next June where Kelly will have the chance to go for three straight victories.

Your champion. pic.twitter.com/WKeQtBYGEG

— Ben Kenney (@benzkenney) June 13, 2021