Jaeger is BMW winner
Stephan Jaeger may have a gotten a final push from inclement weather to win the BMW Charity Pro-Am, but the Chattanooga resident did plenty of work earlier on the way to his second Web. com Tour victory.
The former Baylor School and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer was declared the champion Sunday when the tournament’s final round was canceled because of rain in Greer, S.C.
That froze scores at the 54-hole mark, making Jaeger a one-stroke winner at 19-under-par 195. Three golfers shared second place.
“I didn’t miss a shot today, which was cool,” Jaeger joked to The Associated Press. “It’s unfortunate. I was ready to play, I was ready to compete today, but the rain was not letting up and the golf course can only take so much.”
Jaeger missed the chance to play 18 more holes at Thornblade Club, where he shot a 5-under 66 in Friday’s second round to take a share of the lead. The 74 golfers who made the cut for the final round had tested themselves on three different courses, and Jaeger was among the best at each, opening with an 8-under 64 Thursday at The Preserve at Verdae before Saturday’s 6-under 65 at Furman University to shake his co-leaders and everyone else.
Jaeger made two eagles, 17 birdies and just two bogeys in three days.
“It was different because every course was a little different,” the 27-year-old native of Munich, Germany, told pgatour.com “Your strategy changes on each course, and you have to play it differently. It’s different holes. You’re pretty much starting three tournaments in a way. I played very similarly all three days; I hit the ball really good, made a lot of putts.”
Jaeger earned $126,000 for his win, which moves him from 103rd to seventh on the tour’s money list, greatly improving his chances of earning PGA Tour status next year. Last year he set several Web.com Tour scoring records — including an opening 58 — while winning the Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif.
Former Dalton (Ga.) High School golfer Blake Adams was 10th at 14 under in the BMW Charity Pro-Am, earning $18,900 to move from 128th to 75th on
the money list. Former Baylor School and University of Georgia golfer Keith Mitchell tied for 17th at 11 under to earn $6,872, while Athens, Tenn., native Eric Axley tied for 44th at 9 under to win $2,081.
Horschel prevails
IRVING, Texas — Billy Horschel won the AT&T Byron Nelson with a par on the first playoff hole after Jason Day pulled his fourfoot par putt left and past the hole.
That miss by Day almost wasn’t even needed for Horschel, whose 18-foot birdie chance was rolling straight toward the center of the cup before stopping just short. He won for the fourth time on the PGA Tour but the first time since taking the 2014 Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup title.
With a closing 1-under 69, including a 60-foot birdie putt at the 14th hole, Horschel matched Day at 12-under 268 for 72 holes. Day had a 68 in the final round.
Third-round leader James Hahn (71) finished a stroke back. He just missed a miraculous eagle at the 18th hole that would have put him in the playoff with his playing partners.
Because of early morning rain that delayed the start Sunday, threesomes were used instead of the usual weekend twosomes. No one outside of that final group made a real charge to contend.
Thompson shines
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Lexi Thompson’s 6-under 65 finished off a nearly flawless wire-towire victory in the Kingsmill Championship.
Thompson set a tournament record by finishing at 20-under 264 at Kingsmill’s River Course, breaking the mark of 19 under set by Annika Sorenstam in 2008. The victory came in Thompson’s third event since she lost the ANA Inspiration in a playoff after being penalized four strokes for a rules violation reported by a television viewer.
The eighth win of Thompson’s career gave her at least one in five consecutive seasons, matching top-ranked Lydia Ko for the longest streak on tour.
In Gee Chun was paired with Thompson and shot a bogey-free 67, but she was no match for the leader and finished five shots back. Thompson had no bogeys Sunday and finished the tournament with just two.
Angela Stanford closed with a 66 to finish third at 11, and Danielle Kang was another stroke back in fourth after a 68.
Nicklaus matched
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Bernhard Langer closed with an 8-under 64 as he cruised to his second straight Regions Tradition victory and matched Jack Nicklaus’ record of eight PGA Tour Champions major titles.
“Yeah, that’s pretty neat,” Langer said. “Not many people can say they match Jack Nicklaus in anything. To have won as many majors on this tour as he has is outstanding obviously and a thrill for me.”
The 59-year-old Langer has 31 victories overall on the 50-and-older circuit, ranking second behind Hale Irwin’s 45.
Langer wiped out a sixstroke deficit over the weekend and entered the final round down two strokes to Fred Funk. He finished at 20-under 268 for a fivestroke victory over Scott McCarron (69) and Scott Parel (70).
Funk shot a 72 to tie for fourth with Marco Dawson (66).
Quiros hangs on
VERDURA, Sicily — Alvaro Quiros beat Zander Lombard on the second hole of a playoff to win the Rocco Forte Open and earn his first title in more than six years.
Quiros, who had sole possession of the lead after 36 and 54 holes, regained his European Tour card with the win and will improve his No. 703 spot in the World Golf Ranking. He reached a career-high No. 21 in January 2012.
Quiros shot a 73 in the final round, Lombard a 68. Quiros had a seven-stroke lead at one point, but four bogeys and a double bogey let Lombard force the playoff as they both finished at 14-under 270 — one stroke ahead of Li Haotong.
After Quiros and Lombard parred the first extra hole, Quiros also made par on the next hole, while Lombard missed a threefoot putt to end his hopes of a first victory.