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Springfield, N.J. • Daniel Summerhays had his best finish ever in a major championship Sunday at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol as he shot his best round of the week with a 4-under par 66 to finish third and punch his ticket to next year's Masters for the first time.

"Well, what a thrill; I'm still shaking a little bit," Summerhays said. "That was pretty amazing on the 18th hole. I had an eagle look. I know I was a little bit behind but just to have a chance to maybe win a major championship was a thrill of a lifetime. Six birdies on the last ten holes, (I) couldn't ask for a better finish. I'm going to sleep really well tonight."

And well he should after playing 34 holes of pressure-packed major championship golf in one day.

A top-four finish last month at the U.S. Open at Oakmont would have gotten Summerhays into his first Masters next year, but alas that opportunity slipped away late. Summerhays had the same opportunity today, knowing a top four would mean the same.

How electric that must have felt like as he delivered six birdies in his final 10 holes?

"I was definitely thinking about (The Masters) going up the 18th hole," Summerhays said. "That's a lifetime dream. I knew exactly where I stood. I knew what was going on."

But Summerhays hasn't always been so bold and with looking at leader boards and figuring out what he needed. He used to have more of an attitude of avoidance instead of assertiveness. Not so on Sunday afternoon.

"I used to kind of hide away from knowing what was going on and it almost made me more nervous because you start speculating and everything," Summerhays said. "But I knew exactly where I was, that was pretty exciting."

And the dream will now be realized the second month of April as he will head to his first Masters.

"I have got the Augusta theme song memorized," Daniel Summerhays said. "I've got the words and everything. I can here Jim Nance's voice in the back of my mind. 'Hello friends, welcome to Augusta National'."

The ticket to Augusta is also a job well done for Daniel's brother and coach Boyd Summerhays who met his brother with an ear-to- ear grin and bear hug as he walked off the press stage by the clubhouse.

"Obviously as a brother you're super-proud to have him do it and to be working for about the last year as coach and player," Boyd Summerhays said. "It's incredible, it's just an accomplishment you're so proud of. I'm proud on both sides of it, it's incredibly special."

For Summerhays' wife Emily, seeing her husband play so well on this big stage in his chosen profession was very fulfilling.

"It's always fun to see him play well," Emily Summerhays said. "Any time you can get in contention it elevates things to a new level. I think also just seeing him do what he loves and puts hours and hours into is fun for me and I know how motivating it is for him."

As for trying to win the tournament, there was still hope for that as Summerhays came down the stretch on 16 through 18. Jimmy Walker's lead was still around 11 and 12 under as Summerhays was finishing.

"I know if I could get to 11-under I would have a chance and when the putts start flowing, you don't play the percentages, you say this one is going in," Summerhays said. "I don't care what the percentages say, this one is going in. The was so fun to reel off those birdies and I can't really describe the feeling."

Moments like these don't happen everyday, but for Sunday at the PGA Championship they did come together nicely for Summerhays.

"I had the goose bumps walking down the last four fairways, just the crowd here and everything going on," Summerhays said. "It was an amazing feeling."

Garrett Johnston is a sports writer and video producer. You can follow him on Twitter

@JohnstonGarrett