Hatton beats foes, course to win Palmer Invitational

Tyrrell Hatton went from losing his mind to winning the tournament.

Bay Hill served up the most demanding test this side of a major, and Hatton kept it together down the stretch Sunday by playing bogey-free over the last seven holes for a 2-over-par 74 to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

It was his fifth victory worldwide, and first on the PGA Tour, and it came in just his second start since returning from surgery on his right wrist during the offseason.

But the 28-year-old Englishman could only smile when he tapped in a 3-foot par putt on the 18th for a one-shot victory over Marc Leishman, one of the few players who kept moving forward — barely — on another day of blustery, brittle conditions at Bay Hill.

Hatton finished at 4-under 284, one of only four players who beat par for the week, the fewest at Bay Hill since 1980. So severe was the course that Matt Fitzpatrick closed with a 69, the only player to break 70 on the weekend.

Rory McIlroy, one shot behind going into the final round, had a 76 for his highest closing round in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event since a 76 in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion. He still tied for fifth, his eighth consecutive finish in the top five worldwide dating to September.

Sungjae Im, trying to become the first player since David Duval in 1997 to win his first two PGA Tour titles in consecutive weeks, closed with a 73 to finish third.

The scoring average Sunday was 75.06, the toughest final round at Bay Hill since 1983. Hatton’s 284 was the highest score to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational since it began in 1979.

Els wins Hoag Classic.

Ernie Els won the Hoag Classic for his first PGA Tour Champions title, birdieing par-5 15th and 18th holes for a twostroke victory at Newport Beach Country Club.

Making his third senior start, the 50year-old Hall of Famer from South Africa closed with a 4-under 67 to finish at 16-under 197. Fred Couples finished with a 66 to tie for second with Glen Day and Robert Karlsson.