Derek RendeHe was second to no one.
Following his 5-under-par 67 on Saturday with a 69 on Sunday, Rende posted a 12-under 276 to win by one stroke over Argentina's Puma Dominguez at Buenaventura Golf Club. The tournament had a total purse of $175,000, with Rende collecting $31,500 for winning it.
"It was amazing," Rende told pgatour.com. "I had not won a golf tournament in quite a few years now, so this feels awesome. I played steady all day and hit the ball really well and didn't put myself in bad positions."
Former Hixson High School and Southern Miss standout Paul Apyan finished tied for 14th at 5-under 283.
The Lexus Panama Classic was the second tournament of the year on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica schedule. Justin Hueber won the season opener last month.
Rende and Hueber, who played at the University of Indianapolis, are tied for the tour's money lead at $31,500.
"It's very exciting to get this win early on," Rende said. "I had a rough first week down here, but I'm getting acclimated to it and am really looking forward to the rest of the year."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.