Courtesy of Tyler Morning Telegram

Former Wayland Baptist golfer Mikel Martinson's first professional golf victory was delivered on eagles' wings.

Martinson made one eagle each day of the 39th Chesapeake Energy Texas State Open, the final one coming on No. 14 that propelled the Throckmorton native to a one-shot win over Plano's Matthew Rosenfeld on Sunday afternoon at The Cascades Golf Club.

Rosenfeld nearly drained a chip shot from just off the 18th green that would have forced a playoff.

Martinson, a two-time NAIA All-American who helped lead the Pioneers to a runner-up finish at the 2007 NAIA Championships, earned the $25,000 winner's check by dominating the par 5s to the tune of 16 under for the week. Rosenfeld was 9 under on the par 5s.

It boiled down to the 534-yard No. 14, which played as the easiest hole on the course.

"I hit a cut 4-iron and it came out really nice," Martinson said of his second shot that reached the green. "I was just hoping I had the right distance judged. I had 204 (yards) to the flag. I made a really good (10-foot) putt for eagle and that was really the turning point."

The eagle took Martinson to 15 under for the tournament and into the lead. Rosenfeld, the only one with a chance to catch Martinson, was next to play the 14th and made birdie to reach 14 under.

"I was just short of the green," said Rosenfeld, who added that he only had two eagle putts all week in getting shut out. "I hit a really good chip to a foot."

They both parred 15, 16 and 17. Martinson birdied the par-5 18th to reach 16 under and then waited for the final group to come in.

Rosenfeld, who shared the 54-hole lead, came up a little short on his second shot into the green from 255 yards out. The ball settled in the first cut of rough below the green, in a direct line to the flag.

"I was in that bowl there three out of four rounds," said Rosenfeld, a former three-time All-American at Texas. "It needed to carry about two more yards or be three feet further to the left and it would have been close to the hole."

The chip shot bounced three times and rolled toward the hole, missing it by a mere two inches to the left. He settled for a tap-in birdie and a runner-up check worth $15,000.

"I saw the board and knew I had to make eagle," Rosenfeld said. "I had been chipping great all week. I chipped in in the second round. I was just trying to use positive vibes there and get it to go in.

"I made good contact out of the rough and landed it where I wanted to. I thought that shot was going to break just a little to the right at the end and it held straight."

Martinson shot a bogey-free 65 to finish at 264. Rosenfeld had a 67 for a 265. Randy Lowry of Spring, who shared the 54-hole lead with Rosenfeld, placed third at 12-under 268. He had a final-round 70.

The last victory for the 24-year-old Martinson came in a college tournament in Canada in 2006.

"It feels awesome," said Martinson, who celebrated the win with his parents and grandmother. "I've been waiting to do it for a long time. It's one of the bigger tournaments that I play in. It hasn't really hit me yet. I think I was more nervous (at the awards ceremony) than I was on the last hole."

Martinson, one shot back to start the day, made five straight pars before getting a birdie at No. 6. He also birdied No. 8 and made the turn still trailing Rosenfeld by one after they both shot 2 under on the front.

Rosenfeld made his only bogey of the back nine at the converted par-4 No. 10 to drop into a tie for the lead.

"I kept glancing at the leaderboard and just stayed in the moment and kept trusting my shots," said Martinson, who hit about 15 greens. "I didn't take any real big chances at any flags, just played to the center of the green. I told myself to keep getting birdie putts. I hit a lot of good drives on tough driving holes."

When the eagle putt dropped at No. 14, Martinson said he "felt like this is my tournament."

And he made it happen.