Scott McCarron wins Mitsubishi Electric Classic with an eye on winning Charles Schwab Cup

Scott McCarron potentially is a challenger to Bernhard Langer’s PGA Tour Champions dominance, but it was not going to happen with top-five finishes that don’t include victories.

McCarron took the first step toward alleviating that obstacle by winning the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., on Sunday.

It was the ninth victory of his senior career, but first of the season. In six previous starts, he had three top-fives.

“I felt I let one go at the Hoag Classic this year in Newport [Beach, Calif.],” he said. “I felt like I should have won that tournament. Three-putted the last hole to miss the playoff. That certainly ticked me off a little bit. I've had a fifth, a second, a third and now a victory.

“I think we maybe take over the Schwab Cup [points lead] early in the season, which is great. That's my goal, to win the Schwab Cup at the end the year, try to win and put myself in position as many times as I can.”

McCarron had won at TPC Sugarloaf twice on the PGA Tour, in the BellSouth Classic.

“Obviously it's a golf course I like,” he said. “This place is just very special to me. When I first came in through the gates, you see all the big, beautiful homes and everybody's well-manicured yards, and the golf course is just fantastic, so it's a golf course I love coming to.”

McCarron led by three to start the final round and closed with a one-under par 71 to win by two over Jerry Kelly, Joe Durant, Kirk Triplett and Kent Jones.

Two former Major League Baseball players in the field, John Smoltz and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, struggled. Smoltz for 61st and Hasegawa tied for 72nd.