Franco Wins Compaq Classic

May 6, 1999 / 9:05 PM EDT / AP

It's party time in Paraguay.

The tiny, South American country threw a parade for Carlos Franco when he tied for sixth at the Masters. You can imagine what they'll do now that he's won a PGA tournament.

"They have probably already started to celebrate," Franco said after shooting a final-round 6-under-par 66 Sunday for his first win on the PGA Tour, a two-shot victory in the $2.6 million Compaq Classic. "I'm pretty sure I'll get a parade, maybe more than that."

Franco, who made his first national impression by holding a brief first-round lead in the Masters, finished with a 19-under 269 to beat Harrison Frazar and Steve Flesch and take home the winner's prize of $468,000.

That's quite an accomplishment for the 33-year-old Franco, who grew up in poverty so humbling his family of nine shared food while sitting on the dirt floor of a one-room shack.

"This has been the biggest week of my life," Franco said. "I never won a bigger tournament than this."

Franco's score was seven shots off the tournament record, but was three strokes better than the record for the 7,106-yard, par 72 English Turn course of 16-under set by Brad Faxon in 1997.

Eric Booker, Craig Barlow and Dennis Paulson all finished at 15-under 273.

The best round of the day was Robert Allenby's 64.

Franco offset his only bogey of the day with seven birdies.

"Every day this week I felt very good," Franco said. "I was hitting the ball really good. I felt no pressure."

Franco came to the 15h hole tied with Flesch and a shot ahead of playing partner Frazar. Franco birdied the hole as Flesch was taking a bogey on 14. Frazar managed only a string of pars over the final seven holes.

"That's when I knew I had won the tournament, on 15," Franco said.

Franco, who has won 30 tournaments worldwide since turning pro in 1986, learned to play golf as an 8-year-old in Paraguay on the course where his father was the greenskeeper and caddy.

The game took Franco out of the one-room shack and made him a golfing icon in his country, where there are only three golf courses and 28 golf pros, including Franco's sister and four brothers.

In his first year on the PGA Tour, Franco has entered eight tournaments and made the cut in five. He finished tied for third in the Honda and tied for sixth in the Masters.

"It doesn't surprise me a bit," Flesch said of Franco's victory. "I knew it was just a matter of time. He's such a great player."

Frazar matched his best finish, a tie for second last year in the Byron Nelson Classic. He had missed the cut in four straight tournaments prior to the Compaq Classic.

"I've never had the experience of having four or five holes left and being close," Frazar said. "So I'm glad I cleared that hurdle."

Flesch finished second in New Orleans last year, using that as a springbard to rookie of the year honors on the tour.

"This was a hard tournament to win," Flesch said. "With that many guys making birdies you know if you were just making par they were lapping you."