Billy Brozovich kept plugging away - waiting on an opening to come from behind.
Trailing by two shots with two holes to play, that opening came at the par-4 17th hole - where leader Carter Callaway of Hattiesburg made a bogey. Brozovich, an Ole Miss golfer from Greenville, drained a 15-foot putt for birdie for a two-shot swing.
He completed his come-from-behind win with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th hole, giving him a one-shot victory over Callaway in the 62nd annual Greenwood Invitational Sunday at Greenwood Country Club.
Brozovich birdied the final three holes to shoot a 3-under-par 69 to finish at 13 under in the three-day tournament.
"I love playing in this tournament because it always has such a great field. Outside of the State Amateur, this is the toughest field, and I am proud to win it," said Brozovich, who finished second in last year's Invitational one shot back of winner Josh Oller. "This tournament is kind of like the Mississippi Masters. I am thrilled to have my name along some great past champions."
Callaway carded a 69 and finished in second at 12 under.
Brozovich started the day three shots back of second-round leader Clay Homan, who struggled down the stretch to shoot a 74 and finished in third place at 11 under.
For the second time in three years, Homan, the golf coach at Mississippi State, was unable to hold on to his final-round lead. He was 2 under on his round Sunday after 12 holes and appeared primed for his second Invitational title. But he missed the green at the par-3 13th and wound up with a double-bogey.
Homan followed that with bogeys at 14, 15 and 17.
"Man, I just couldn't hit a green for nothing there for a stretch and missed some par putts I should have made," said Homan, who matched the course record Friday with an 11-under-par 61.
Homan, the 2005 Invitational champ, made just one bogey in his first 36 holes before making five on Sunday to go with a double-bogey.
Brozovich also struggled a bit on 14 and 15 with a couple of bogeys, but he his second shot on the par-5 16th - a 7-iron from 179 yards that wound up 12 feet from the hole - jump started him for a strong finish.
He missed his eagle putt but made birdie to give him new life.
"The only time I was a little nervous was over that eagle putt on 16 because I knew how important it was. I lost this thing last year on 17, and I made sure that didn't happen again with a huge birdie there," Brozovich said.
Brent Hobbs of Laurel and Scott Rhodes of Ridgeland finished tied for fourth, four shots back at 9 under. Hobbs had the lowest round Sunday with a 5-under-par 67.
Matthew Harvey of Georgetown, Texas, placed sixth at 8 under.
Greenwood's Jody Wooten had the best finish by a local golfer, coming in tied for seventh at 6 under after a final-round 73.
Greenwood's Alan Ellis finished 10th at 4 under after a final-round 75. Greenwood's Hugh Muse tied for 11th at 2 under with a 72 on Sunday.
