Hughes claims Sanderson Farms title as Brit Hull lifts Volunteers Classic crown
Wor ld number 82 Hughes won hisonlyprior Pgatitleat the 2016 RSM Classic, winning a five-man playoff that week withaparonthe thirdextrahole
Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes sank an eight-foot birdie put on the second playoff hole on Sunday to defeat Austria’s Sepp Straka and win the PGA Sanderson Farms Championship.
The 31-year-old from Hamilton captured his second career PGA crown ater he and Straka both finished 72 holes on 17-under par 271 at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi.
World number 82 Hughes won his only prior PGA title at the 2016 RSM Classic, winning a five-man playoff that week with a par on the third extra hole.
Ending a six-year title drought was a thrill. Hughes made two great par saves at 18 to give himself the chance at the winning put there.
At 18 in regulation, Hughes was way let off the tee an over the green, but puted from 35 yards to within four feet of the hole and made the par put to force the playoff.
Straka fired a five-under 67 in regulation while Hughes shot 69.
The playoff began at 18 and Straka had a 20-foot birdie put while Hughes was in a bunker. Hughes blasted out to five feet, Straka missed his put and both tapped in to extend maters.
Again they played 18, this time Hughes and Straka each having birdie puts. Straka missed from the fringe leaving Hughes an eight-footer for the victory. Hughes rolled in the put and pumped his right first in celebration.
Straka, ranked 36th, won his first PGA title in February at the Honda Classic and nearly grabbed his second in August before losing a playoff to Will Zalatoris at the St. Jude Championship.
South African Garrick Higgo was third on 272 ater a closing 68, finishing one stroke ahead of countryman Dean Burmester.
American Mark Hubbard, the 54-hole leader seeking his first PGA title, fired a 74 to share fith on 275 with compatriots Nick Hardy and Keegan Bradley and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo.
Meanwhile, England’s Charley Hull captured her second career LPGA title on Sunday, holding off New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and China’s Lin Xiyu to win the Volunteers of America Classic.
Hull, whose only other LPGA triumph came at the 2016 Tour Championship, fired a sevenunder par 64 to finish 72 holes on 18-under 266 at Old American Golf Club at The Colony, Texas.
That was good enough to edge Lin by one stroke and Ko by two to snap a six-year LPGA win drought that Hull said had been a long wait.
“I feel very proud of myself,” Hull said. “I had come close a few times since but I’ve put in some good work this year.”
Thailand’s Athaya Thitikul was fourth on 272.
Her compatriot Moriya Jutanugarn shared fith with American Cheyenne Knight on 273.
Hull said she feels like beter things are coming ater her breakthrough.
“My game is there. It was just my confidence and now I’m confident,” Hull said. “I felt really good. I felt like I was really in control of my round, especially coming in.
“I could have made some more birdies and I hit good puts and they just rolled over the edge.”
Lin sank a 25-foot eagle put at the par-5 17th to momentarily match Hull for the lead, but the 26-year-old Englishwoman answered moments later with a six-foot downhill birdie put to reclaim the lead on 18-under.
At the 18th, Ko lipped out from 12 feet for birdie while Lin and Hull, in the next and final group, gave themselves birdie chances as well.
Hull missed from 18 feet and tapped in for par, leaving Lin a 14-footer to force a playoff, but the put faded let and Hull had the triumph.
“It was quite brilliant, actually. I found it quite exciting,” Hull said. “When ‘Janet’ (Lin) made eagle on 17, I enjoyed that. It made me want to birdie the last. I hit a good put. I missed. But it was great fun.”
Lin, a 26-year-old from Guangzhou, matched her best LPGA finish, a runner-up effort in March in Thailand.