SURREY, British Columbia — Joel Edwards' win at the Air Canada Championship was for all the professional golfers no one has ever heard of.
"It's for the guys that are playing the Buy.com, the guys that are playing the Golden Bear. I've been there, I've played them all," Edwards said Sunday after winning by seven strokes for his first PGA Tour title. "Three years ago, I was playing the Lone Star Tour in Dallas, Texas. I had played out here (PGA) for nine years, and I couldn't get a spot anywhere."
Edwards, who shot a 6-under-par 65 Sunday, won't have to look for a place to play for at least another two years after matching the tournament record at 19-under.
"For someone who has played 12 years out here to finally get a win, I'm still trying to figure it out," Edwards said after collecting $612,000 to nearly double his season earnings. "It's a moment in your life when all the doubt there is just washed away."
In 11 years on the PGA Tour, the 39-year-old Edwards, from Irving, Texas, had never led after 54 holes, let alone win. His best career finish was a tie for second at the 1992 B.C. Open, and this year he had done no better than fifth at the Honda Classic in March.
That all changed with four straight birdies on the back nine Sunday.
"I just kept saying to myself 'One more, one more, just in case you goof it up,' " said Edwards, who became the fifth first-time winner in the six-year history of the tournament. "When you get nervous, you just want to be as aggressive as possible. I felt comfortable with every club in my bag, and I knew I was just playing well."
Edwards started his birdie run at No. 12 and when it ended he was 19-under. He bogeyed No. 16, but made up for it with a perfect second shot over the water on the tough par-4 18th that left him inside 3 feet.
"The only way I could lose was if I kept dunking it in the water, which crossed my mind," he said. "I asked my caddie coming down 18, 'What kind of lead have we got?' He just started laughing. I said, 'Does that mean it's more than two?' He said 'Yeah.' "
Conditions eased some at the 7,069-yard Arnold Palmer-designed Northview Golf and Country Club as the wind remained calm and the greens stayed soft after rain Friday night. The long rough, however, continued to wreak havoc but not on Edwards, who only missed seven fairways all week.
"For his first win to go out there and be 6-under today, that's great," said Steve Lowery, who rebounded from a disastrous finish on Saturday with a 66 that left him alone in second. "He made some good shots early and made some birdies to free himself up."
BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN: In Munich, Germany, John Daly won for the first time since the 1995 British Open, shooting a 6-under 66 for one-stroke victory over Padraig Harrington in the BMW International Open.
Daly had a record 27-under 261 total to match the European tour mark set by Jerry Anderson in the 1984 European Masters.
The event ended the points race for the European Ryder Cup team, with Phillip Price of Wales holding down the 10th spot. Sam Torrance used his two captain's picks on Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik.
Price, Garcia and Parnevik will join Harrington, Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Colin Montgomerie, Pierre Fulke, Lee Westwood, Niclas Fasth, Paul McGinley and Bernhard Langer.
STATE FARM CLASSIC: In Springfield, Ill., Kate Golden roared past Annika Sorenstam for her first LPGA Tour title, shooting a 9-under 63 to overcome a six-stroke deficit in the State Farm Classic.
Golden's career-best 63 gave her a 21-under 267 total, four strokes better than the previous tournament record. She earned $150,000 to nearly triple her season earnings at $200,979.
Sorenstam (70) finished a stroke back.
KROGER SENIOR CLASSIC: In Mason, Ohio, Jim Thorpe eagled the par-5 18th, then came back and made a 1-foot birdie putt on the same hole to beat Tom Jenkins in a one-hole playoff in the Kroger Senior Classic.
Jenkins had a 7-under 63, and Thorpe shot a 65 to finish at 10-under 130 in the rain-shortened tournament.