After 30 months, 70 tournaments and six second-place finishes, Texan Justin Leonard rejoined the PGA Tour winners' circle with a five-shot victory at the Texas Open, San Antonio yesterday. Leonard shot a final-round sixunder-par 64 for a 19-under total of 261 in the $2.6 million event with Mark Wiebe alone in second place at 266 after a 67. It was the fifth victory of Leonard's PGA career, but his first since the 1998 Players Championship, where he rallied from five shots off the pace for the win.

There was no need for any such dramatics on a very warm final day as Leonard slowly expanded his two-shot lead over Wiebe to the final margin.

For his victory Leonard earned $468,000.

Blaine McCallister (69) and Jim Gallagher Jnr (68) tied for third at 269.

Leonard put on a classic display of accuracy off the tee and on the greens with birdies on the second, fifth (from the fringe) and eighth holes.

His only stumble came on the par-three sixth hole when he hooked his tee shot into the woods and took a drop. He was still able to hit his lob wedge shot to within six feet of the hole and make his putt for bogey.

Ahead of Wiebe by two at the turn, Leonard kept the pressure on with birdies at the 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th. Wiebe tried to keep contact with the leader with birdies at the fifth, eighth, 11th and 12th holes. His only bogey was at the 18th. The $228,000 prize for second was the largest of his career. He has not won since 1986.