South Burlington, Vt.-It is only fitting that a man named Noah prevailed in a tournament soured by rain. During the single most difficult round on Tour this year, Noah Zelnik emerged from a trio of leaders with a 1-under 70 and 5-under total to win the second annual Vermont National Open by one shot. Canadian Lee Curry finished one shot back in his Tour debut.

Zelnik's 5-under total, which tied the previous Tour low by a winner, earned him $13,000. Mike Harris, looking for his seventh overall victory this year, bogeyed three of his final eight holes to finish 3-under.

With the course soft and the wind whipping, Zelnik took advantage of his length and played Vermont National's eight par 5s 8-under combined for the tournament. During the final round, he eagled the par-5 11th to tie Harris for the lead.

With six wins already to his name, Harris seemed poised for a seventh when he seized the lead after playing his first ten holes 5-under. On no. 11, his 5-iron second shot, caked with mud, sailed into an environmentally sensitive area. His bogey, on the second easiest hole, preceded two more on nos. 17 and 18, the last of which came courtesy of a lob wedge that missed the green.

"It was a minor miracle that I was in contention," said Harris.

With three missed cuts in his last five events, Zelnik arrived at this week's victory circle via an emotional rollercoaster. Just three weeks ago, he had been assigned to PGA Tour pre-qualifying, which was abruptly cancelled. Since then, the burden of having to pre-qualify has lifted from his shoulders, elevating him to CGT winner for the first time since the 2003 Atkinson Open.

Lee Curry traveled from Kemptville, Ontario and earned $7,800 in his CGT debut. The only downfall: 30% of those earnings will be absorbed by a United States foreign citizen tax.

Rob Oppenheim maintained his position atop the CGT point and money race with a tie for fifth. He rallied from an opening 74 with a closing 66, the low round of the day by two shots.

With just one event remaining, he holds less than a 70 point lead over Geoff Sisk for the $4,500 PGA Tour Q School tuition check.

The Tour now travels to Quincy, Mass., Oct. 5-7, for the final event of the season at Granite Links Golf Course.