PGA Tour rookie already a winner
BLAINE, Minn. — Six weeks after winning the NCAA Division I men’s golf individual title with Oklahoma State, Matthew Wolff wrapped up just his third tournament as a professional.
He took home a trophy and a PGA Tour card.
Even if the 20-year-old Californian was playing the 3M Open on a sponsor’s exemption in a field with far more accomplished players, Wolff’s time as an amateur provided plenty of experience to sharpen both his competitiveness and confidence. That sure showed Sunday afternoon on the 18th green at TPC Twin Cities.
“I was born for moments like these,” Wolff said. “I live for moments like these.”
Wolff made a 26-foot putt from the fringe for an eagle on the final hole to close out a 6-under 65 and finish at 21-under 263, beating Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa by one stroke in a tense finish to the first-time PGA Tour event.
“I completed everything I wanted to in college, and now I’ve done something that very few people could say they’ve done and it makes me really happy,” said Wolff, who became the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2013 to win a PGA Tour event before his 21st birthday.
Morikawa had the opportunity to forge a tie, but he just missed his eagle attempt from 22 feet away in the middle of the green and closed with a 66. He and Wolff, who once played against each other on the California high school circuit and shared the lead with DeChambeau after the third round at 15 under, embraced on the green.
Then Wolff began the celebration of the $1.152 million prize and an automatic two-year exemption on the tour.
DeChambeau, who played in the group ahead of Morikawa and Wolff, finished his up-and-down afternoon with an eagle to post a 66 and take a shortlived lead at 20 under.
Canada’s Adam Hadwin (67) was fourth at 18 under, a stroke ahead of Wyndham Clark (68) and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz (64). Six golfers shared seventh, including Lucas Glover, whose 62 was the day’s low round.
Top-ranked Brooks Koepka (72) was 65th at 6 under. Among the seven golfers tied at 5 under were Baylor School graduates Stephan Jaeger (73) and Keith Mitchell (75).
Rahm wins Irish
LAHINCH, Ireland — Jon Rahm took the Irish Open title for the second time in three years, closing with an 8-under 62 to finish at 16-under 264 and win by two strokes at Lahinch Golf Club.
It was the 24-year-old Spaniard’s second victory of 2019 — he paired with Ryan Palmer to win the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic in April — and fourth in two years on the European Tour.
Rahm tamed the links course in on Ireland’s western coast by making an eagle and eight birdies in the final round, moving up eight spots from his third-round position.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello, another Spanaird, started the day a shot behind third-round leader Robert Rock of England but was in front by two strokes after making three birdies in his first five holes. He was soon passed by the rampaging Rahm, then fell away by bogeying four of the first six holes on the back nine.
England’s Andy Sullivan and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger each shot a 66 and shared second place. Cabrera-Bello (69), Rock (70) and England’s Eddie Pepperell (69) tied for fourth at 13 under, a stroke ahead of Spain’s Jorge Campillo (66) and England’s Paul Waring (66).
Rock, Waring and Wiesberger earned spots in the British Open for being the highest finishers in the top 10 among players who aren’t otherwise exempt. Now the year’s final major, that tournament is July 19-21 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
LPGA: Close finish
ONEIDA, Wis. — Shanshan Feng set a high target for such low scoring at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, and she figured she had done enough.
Three birdies in a fourhole stretch had taken her from three strokes behind to one ahead in the final round, or so she thought. It was only after her 7-iron shot put the ball three feet from the 18th hole that she saw the leaderboard and realized she was tied with Ariya Jutanugarn.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, no. I have to make that one,’” Feng said.
No problem. Leaving the flagstick in, she rolled in her final birdie putt for a 9-under 63 and a oneshot victory over Thailand’s Jutanugarn, who had hit 8-iron to three feet for a birdie and a 64.
Feng, who finished at 29-under 259, won for the 10th time on the LPGA Tour, but this is the 29-year-old Chinese golfer’s first victory since November 2017.
The shootout on the soft Thornberry Creek at Oneida course materialized the way everyone expected. Seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point in the final round.
The United States’ Tiffany Joh (67) and South Korea’s Amy Yang (65) tied for third at 25 under.