Charlie Beljan Wins At 2012 Disney Classic After Hospital Stay

Charlie Beljan finished at 16 under par to win the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Golf Classic at Walt Disney World by two shots over Matt Every and Robert Garrigus to end one of the toughest weeks of his life.

Beljan’s maiden PGA Tour victory was far from easy after overcoming a second-round panic attack where he told his caddie on several occasions that he thought he was going to die. During his second round, Beljan, 28, doubled over and sat down repeatedly but still managed to heroically shoot 64.

After an overnight stay in hospital where Doctors advised him not to start his third round, Beljan held the 54 hole lead after shooting a 1-under-par 71 at Disney’s Magnolia Course.

Starting the final round with a two shot lead Beljan made bogey on his first hole, but rallied with five birdies in a six-hole span around the turn. Beljan showed few signs that he might crack on the back nine but instead of playing it safe off the tee at the 13th, he hit driver into the woods, went into a bunker, then across the green, and made a quick double bogey.

All of a sudden the lead was halved but Beljan responded with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th and from there he never looked in trouble again.

After knocking in the last putt, he tossed his putter and walked around the 18th green on the Magnolia Course pumping his fists as it all began to sink in. Beljan was No. 139 on the PGA Tour money list coming into the final event of the year and figured he was headed back to Q-school. His win gives him a two-year exemption, a trip to Maui for the Tournament of Championship and a spot in the PGA Championship next year.

“It’s a dream come true,” Beljan said. “Every day I drove underneath that Disney sign coming in here, it said ‘Welcome to Disney World Where Dreams Come True,’ and that’s just what happened this week.

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