A 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole put Chris Jenkins back in position to win a record-tying sixth Fourth of July Classic championship Sunday at War Memorial Golf Course.

To win at 18, he only needed to two-putt from 10 feet.

"By the time I got there to hit the putt I was shaking so bad I couldn't hardly draw the putter back," Jenkins said. "Luckily I was close enough to two-putt."

Jenkins' victory tied him with Jay Fox as a six-time winner of the tournament.

"Getting the sixth one I put a lot of pressure on myself to do that," said Jenkins who won previous championships in 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2012. "I don't know why I did, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to tie Jay. This tournament is very special to him. It is special to a lot of us who have grown up in Little Rock that has played in it for years. It means a lot to get that."

Jenkins won by one shot over UALR sophomore Tyler Reynolds, the leader after two rounds, and Beau Glover, who closed with a 62 to reach contention.

Reynolds, who tied for second in last year's tournament behind Stafford Gray, had a one-stroke lead over Jenkins heading into Sunday's final round. His 3-over 35 on the front nine left them tied, but things turned around quickly on the back side when the UALR sophomore birdied 10 and 11, while Jenkins managed par and bogey to fall three back.

They both parred 12, but things changed quickly at the par-3 13th.

Reynolds' tee shot found the rough to the right side of the green as Jenkins went over the top of the flag but was safely on. Reynolds left his next shot in the rough before chipping on and two-putting for double bogey as Jenkins drained his long birdie putt. The make elicited a "finally" gesture from Jenkins, 44, and a quick laugh from Glover, the third member of the group.

Reynolds grabbed the lead again at the par-3 14th with a par as Jenkins bogeyed, but Jenkins landed his 3-iron just off the side of the green at the uphill, par-4 15th. His delicate chip went to within 2 feet for a tap-in birdie, while Reynolds parred to bring the pair back to 4 under.

After pars on 16, Jenkins went over the flag and into the rough just behind the green at the par-3 17th. Reynolds couldn't match Jenkins' up-and-down 3-foot par save to slide back a stroke heading into 18.

"I just didn't play very good," Reynolds said. "At 12, I had a three-shot lead then I was back to even the next hole. I guess I got nervous a little bit."

Jenkins' drive on 18 found the fairway, which was followed by a wedge to within 10 feet. Glover and Reynolds both missed their birdie attempts, while Jenkins' downhill attempt missed long by a couple of feet before he nailed the par putt to clinch the victory.

"I wasn't out, but I was in a pretty bad spot there before 13," Jenkins said. "I think 15 was a good up and down. Hitting over the green and getting up and down on 17 was big. I had a decent lie, grabbed a 52-degree [wedge] and tried to chip it through the fringe and I still hit it a few feet by. It was probably the right play. I could have flubbed the other so it worked out."

Fox, who wasn't at War Memorial on Sunday, said he received a text from Lyle Middleton to say Jenkins had tied his record.

"I couldn't be happier for Chris," said Fox who won the tournament in 1983, 1989, 1994, 1997, 2003 and 2005. "He's been my friend my whole life. I didn't expect the record to last as long as he was standing upright and holding a golf club."

Also Sunday, Gerald Ware won the mid-senior division with a 10-over 202; Chuck Kaiser the senior division with a 1-under 191;Oscar Taylor the super-senior title with a 4-over 196; and Kevin Sexton won the match-play championship with a 5 and 4 victory over Wendell Watts.

Sports on 07/07/2014