Gooch sails to victory at Sea Island with 64
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Talor Gooch was playing too well to get fazed by anything Sunday in the RSM Classic, and it paid off with his first PGA Tour title when he closed with a 6-under 64 for a three-shot victory at Sea Island.
He was playing with two guys who have won before. He was pushed early by a past Sea Island champion. The buzz in the middle of the round was another player flirting with 59.
Gooch ran off three birdies in four holes to start the back nine and never let anyone get close to cap off a strong fall with the ultimate prize. The victory moved him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings, to No. 33 in the world ranking and to Augusta National in April for the Masters.
“To finish the fall season off like I just did, it’s a dream come true,” Gooch said.
Gooch tied the tournament record of 22-under 260 set by Kevin Kisner in 2014. He became the seventh player in the 12-year history of the event to make the RSM Classic his first victory.
Mackenzie Hughes of Canada, who won the tournament in 2016, rallied from the group ahead of Gooch with four birdies among his last six holes, capped by a 20-foot putt at No. 18 for a 62 to finish second at 19-under 263.
Sebastian Munoz (65) was alone in third and Tyler McCumber (60), Cameron Smith (64), Tom Hoge (67) and Seamus Power (68) tied for fourth.
Along with the Masters, Gooch gets to start next year on Maui for the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.
“This gets me into some tournaments I wasn’t into,” he said. “But I want to get to the Tour Championship and this puts me a little bit ahead of the ballgame for that journey. The goal is to win the Tour Championship.”
Gooch began the day with a threeshot lead over playing partners Munoz and Power and delivered a sound message when he drilled two iron shots to set up birdie putts of 5 and 9 feet at Nos. 2 and 4.
He missed only two fairways and two greens and after McCumber shot 60 to finish at 15 under, three shots back, Gooch’s response was to floor it. He birdied four of his first six holes on the back and led Hughes and Munoz by as many as five shots.
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LPGA Tour
NAPLES, Fla. – Facing high stakes against her toughest opponent, Jin Young Ko delivered a performance that was close to perfect to win the richest prize in women’s golf and overtake Nelly Korda for LPGA player of the year.
Ko opened with a 25-foot birdie putt and never looked back in the CME Group Tour Championship. She shot 30 on the front nine and closed with the low round of the tournament at 9-under 63 for a one-shot victory of Nasa Hataoka of Japan. So flawless was Ko that she hit the final 63 greens in regulation at Tiburon Golf Club.
“I don’t know what happened out there,” said Ko, who has been coping with a left wrist injury since May that limited her practice before rounds. “This week was amazing.”
European Tour
British Open champion, Ryder Cup winner and now the first American to finish a season as the European Tour’s No. 1 player.
It’s been quite the year for Collin Morikawa.
The 24-year-old Californian showcased his world-class iron play down the stretch in making five birdies in his last seven holes to overhaul a fading Rory McIlroy and win the DP World Tour Championship with a final-round 6-under 66 on Sunday.
With the three-shot victory, Morikawa sealed the Race to Dubai title as the leading points winner on the European Tour.