Landry hangs on after losing big lead

Andrew Landry regrouped to win The American Express after blowing a six-stroke lead on the back nine Sunday in La Quinta, California.

Landry broke a tie with Abraham Ancer with a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole and made a 6-footer on the par-4 18th for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke victory.

Landy won the pro-am event at PGA West two years after losing a playoff to Jon Rahm. The 32-year-old Texan has two PGA Tour victories, also winning the 2018 Texas Open.

Trying to become the third Mexican winner in PGA Tour history and first since 1978, Ancer matched the Stadium Course record with a 63. Playing two groups ahead of Landry, Ancer birdied the par-5 16th and the islandgreen 17th and parred the 18th.

After missing the cut in seven of his first eight starts this season, Landry appeared to be cruising to victory when he birdied the first three holes on the back nine to open the six-shot lead. But he bogeyed the next three holes, made a par on the 16th that felt like another bogey, and was tied when Ancer ran in a 25-footer on 17.

Landry finished at 26-under 262. He opened with a 66 on the Stadium Course, shot 64 in the second round at La Quinta Country Club and had a 65 on Saturday on PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course for a share of the third-round lead with Scottie Scheffler – four strokes ahead of thirdplace Rickie Fowler.

Fowler had a 71 in the final group with Landry and Scheffler to tie for 10th at 18 under. Fowler played the event for the first time in six years

LPGA: The final round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions featured a little bit of everything. Clutch shots, bold play, lead changes, a few costly mistakes and even bonus golf.

Sunday did everything but decide a champion.

Nasa Hataoka and Gaby Lopez matched par five times in a playoff at the 197-yard 18th hole until it was too dark to continue. They will return at 8 a.m. Monday at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to see who gets the trophy.

LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park also was in the playoff, but was eliminated on the third extra hole when her tee shot with a fairway metal caromed off rocks left of the par-3 18th and bounded into surrounding water.

There was one champion crowned on Sunday: John Smoltz, former Atlanta Braves standout starter and reliever and baseball Hall of Famer, repeated as champion in the celebrity division. He finished with 150 points in the modified Stableford scoring system, nine points better then U.S. Curtis Cup captain Mardy Fish, another two-time champion.

PGA Champions: Miguel Angel Jimenez made a 12-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff with senior newcomer Ernie Els to win the PGA Tour Champions’ season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Saturday in Ka’upulehi-Kona, Hawaii.

Fred Couples dropped out on the first extra trip down the par-4 18th at windy Hualalai, missing a short par putt.

RAMIREZ / USA TODAY SPORTS ORLANDO Andrew Landry accepts fans' congratulations near the 18th tee on his way to victory in The American Express tournament Sunday.