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Brian Harman, a college teammate of Challenge winner Hudson Swafford, finished tied for third place. (Chris Carlson, Associated Press)
Brian Harman, a college teammate of Challenge winner Hudson Swafford, finished tied for third place. (Chris Carlson, Associated Press)
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LA QUINTA – — It’s safe to assume that Hudson Swafford’s main claim to fame will no longer be getting mixed up with his former University of Georgia teammate, Harris English.

Or if he does, the comparison no longer will be so lopsided.

Going into the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge, Swafford had no victories in three-plus tour seasons. He had been in the hunt, with 19 top-25 finishes and 18 straight cuts made, going back to last May. But his best tour finish was a tie for eighth, twice.

So what emotion did he feel Sunday afternoon, after a tap-in on 18 to secure a 20-under-par tournament and his first PGA Tour victory? Exhilarated? Relieved? An “it’s about time” attitude?

“Not so much relief,” he said. “But maybe a little bit, just of getting in contention a number of times lately and finally being comfortable with it and just executing some great shots down the stretch.

“I had put myself under pressure. I’ve been in the last few groups the last few tournaments and had chances and couldn’t get it done. Felt really comfortable at Sony last week (in Honolulu) … ended up finishing 13th. I played way better than that. My caddie (D.J. Nelson) just kept reiterating, ‘You’re playing great golf, you played way better than your finish last week. And I know I did. My golf was really good last week.

“So that kind of hurt a little bit. But I knew coming into this week, just stay confident, just stay patient on these golf courses, that we’re going to be right in the mix again.”

Swafford was five shots behind Chad Campbell following Campbell’s eagle on the par-5 fifth hole Sunday. Patience in this case was a virtue, with birdies on 7, 8 and 9 and then 15, 16 and 17 to vault a crowded leaderboard.

It earned him entry into a fairly exclusive club, and one whose other members probably wondered what had kept him from joining them. He was a college teammate of English, Brian Harman, Chris Kirk, Russell Henley and Brendon Todd, all of whom had won on the PGA tour.

And yes, ceding bragging rights to them was a bit irksome.

“If it doesn’t bother you, that all your friends have won around you, then you probably need to look for another job,” Swafford said.

“Not saying that it was, you know, holding me back or anything, but it just … creates a little fire. Play with these guys day in and day out, live a couple miles away from them, and it motivates you. Harris has two wins, Harman has a win, Russell has two wins, Chris Kirk has four, maybe, B-Todd has one. I played golf in college with all those guys, played junior and amateur golf. It’s just satisfying to be a part of it.”

Harman, his fellow Bulldog, had a chance to steal this one, too. He was part of the traffic jam at the top of the board, after his birdie on 16 got him to 18 under, before he stalled.

But if Harman checked the leaderboard down the stretch he knew what he was up against. He’d known since both were kids, especially after a round they’d played in Georgia when Harman was 11 and Swafford was 10.

“At the Okefenokee Country Club,” Harman recalled.

“He hit the (tee) shot on this hole and it was a dogleg left and I’m like, ‘where’s this guy going with this thing?’ He flies the trees and he’s left with nothing into the green … Actually it was over this pond, elevated pond. And he hit it and I’m like, ‘Oh, my, where’s he going?’ He flies the pond. It’s perfect. Everything is perfect.”

Swafford was a big kid with a powerful swing then, Harman said.

“And it hasn’t changed since then,” he added. “He’s a big ole boy (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and he hits it a long way and he’s as good a guy as you would ever want to meet.”

It has been a long road to that first victory, and Swafford recalled the time and attention his parents had paid to his golf obsession as a kid in Tallahassee, Fla.

“My dad was the one that spent countless hours with me just beating around at Capital City Country Club: critiquing, you know, taking me out there, not really pushing me,” he said. “(And) my mom pulling me out of school a time or two in high school, and letting me play golf and enjoy what I was doing.

“They just gave me every opportunity in the world to be right here, and it’s just I could never repay them, but I know they’re so proud at home.”

Well, there is one way.

Swafford automatically qualified for the Masters as soon as that par putt on 18 dropped into the cup. And yes, friends and acquaintances have already begun their ticket requests.

“I just got my phone and it just keeps vibrating in my pocket,” he said. “I don’t know (how many texts he’s gotten). Hopefully many. But they (tickets) will be very limited.”

You think Mom and Dad will be high on that priority list?

Contact the writer: jalexander@scng.com