Wise gets first tour win in record style at Byron Nelson
Aaron Wise cruised to his first PGA Tour victory Sunday, shattering the AT&T Byron Nelson record at 23 under on a course in a race to finish before nightfall after a four-hour rain delay.
The 21-year-old rookie shot a 6-under 65 to beat Marc Leishman by three strokes as both became the first to finish the Nelson at 20 under or better in the first year at Trinity Forest. The treeless links-style layout was defenseless with softer fairways and greens and no wind once morning storms passed.
The Nelson celebrated its 50th anniversary with a return to Dallas after 35 years at the TPC Four Seasons in suburban Irving. Rory Sabbatini set the previous record on that par-70 layout at 19-under 261 in 2009.
Wise, the 2016 NCAA individual champion at Oregon, reached 20 under with his third birdie in the first seven holes. Branden Grace matched his career-best 62 from last year’s British Open — which was the lowest round ever in a major — and finished at 19 under with J.J. Spaun and Keith Mitchell, who had matching 63s. Hometown star Jordan Spieth shot 67 to finish 11 under.
LPGA: Ariya Jutanugarn birdied the second hole of a playoff in Williamsburg, Va., to win the Kingsmill Championship for the second time in three years. Jutanugarn closed with a 5-under 66 to match Nasa Hataoka (67) and In Gee Chun (68) at 14-under 199. Jutanugarn and Hataoka both birdied the first extra hole, with Chun dropping out. Hataoka putted first on the second extra hole and missed badly before Jutanugarn rolled in a 15-footer for her eighth career victory.
The 22-year-old Thai star started the day two shots behind Chun and had a two-shot lead before making bogey at the par-5 15th. Hataoka, playing with Chun in the final threesome, birdied No. 15 to join Jutanugarn at 14 under, and Chun made a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th to also get to 14 under.
The tournament was cut from 72 holes to 54 when rain washed out play Saturday.
Brooke Henderson closed with a 65 to finish a shot back.
Champions: Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Regions Tradition for his first PGA Tour Champions major title, closing with a 2-under 70 for a three-stroke victory.
Jimenez held or shared the lead after every round, taking a three-shot edge into the final round at Greystone Golf & Country Club. The Spaniard finished at 19-under 269 for his fifth Champions win. Steve Stricker, Joe Durant and Gene Sauers tied for second.
It was the third time Jimenez had entered the final round of a senior major with at least a share of the lead. He tied for third at the 2016 Senior British Open and for second at the 2016 U.S. Senior Open.
Durant and Sauers had matching 69s and Stricker shot 70.
European Tour: Adrian Otaegui beat Benjamin Hebert by two shots in the final of the Belgian Knockout to win his second European Tour title. The hybrid format opened with two rounds of stroke play on Thursday and Friday in Antwerp, before the leading 64 players competed in nine-hole knockout stroke play matches.