<table> </table> Michael Letzig&#8217;s rookie season on the PGA Tour is over. It&#8217;s been a long year for the Kansas City resident, a stressful year at times, he says. But mostly a rewarding year.</p><p>He walked off the 18th green in Palm Coast, Fla., on Sunday knowing the Ginn sur Mer Classic was not only his last tournament of the season, but also his best.</p><p>Letzig&#8217;s share of a five-way tie for second marked his highest tournament finish all year. The second-place money of $276,000 pushed his season winnings to $1,166,977. It moved him to 89th on the tour&#8217;s season money list.</p><p>And it gave him plenty to think about for the next couple of months.</p><p>&#8220;I was really disappointed with the year because I didn&#8217;t really ever give myself a chance to win a tournament, and I definitely did that this week,&#8221; Letzig said on the phone Sunday night. &#8220;I&#8217;ll have this tournament to think about all winter long and build from it.&#8221;</p><p>Letzig had four top-10 finishes this season before last weekend. He had virtually assured himself of finishing in the top 125 on the tour money list &#8212; a requirement for keeping his tour card next season. But in September, sitting on a porch at Staley Farms Golf Club discussing his rookie success, Letzig had lamented how he hadn&#8217;t played his best &#8212; he hadn&#8217;t truly put himself in contention to win.</p><p>So there he was Sunday in Florida. He led the tournament at the end of three rounds, and heading into the final holes, he was one of a pack of golfers tied for the lead at 6-under par.</p><p>Waiting to hit his approach shot on the 18th hole, Letzig watched another co-leader, Ryan Palmer, drain a birdie putt to break from that pack and move to 7 under.</p><p>He knew he then needed a birdie of his own to force a playoff. The lob wedge shot from 80 yards out didn&#8217;t do quite what he hoped it would. He&#8217;d take another par &#8212; his 17th of the day &#8212; and the tie for second place.</p><p>Looking back later that night, he talked about the pressure of competing for a tournament championship. And, in a way, it spoke to how his career has advanced in the last year.</p><p>&#8220;It really wasn&#8217;t as much pressure as I felt when I was on the Nationwide Tour (last season), because my job was already secured,&#8221; Letzig said of locking up his tour card for 2009. &#8220;But when you get a chance to win like that, that doesn&#8217;t happen very often.&#8221;</p><p>So that&#8217;s what will drive him heading into next season.</p><p>Letzig has decided against playing in the final event on the PGA Tour schedule. His hand has been bothering him &#8212; the result of a callus buildup he&#8217;ll have a procedure on later this month. He&#8217;s ready for a vacation.</p><p>And, well, this is a pretty good way to finish the season.</p><p>&#8220;Great experience,&#8221; Letzig said.</p><p>&#8220;You&#8217;ve got to put yourself in that position as much as you can. The more chances I have to win, I&#8217;ll be more comfortable out there. Hopefully, the next time I have that chance, I won&#8217;t let it slip away.&#8221;