It was Conner Kemmsies, a commercial pilot from Lakeside, California, who got to the bonus round after winning the prize puzzle and the triple toss-up and earning $19,080 in cash and prizes — including a six-day whale-watching cruise to Baja, California, with National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions.

Wheel of Fortune viewers question whether the final puzzle was really a phrase after contestant misses out on $40,000 prize.