LANDRY WINS MAIDEN US PGA TOUR TITLE
LOS ANGELES: Andrew Landry held off Trey Mullinax in a battle of Americans seeking their irst US PGA Tour title Sunday to win the Texas Open by two strokes.
Landry, a 30-year-old Texan, closed with seven consecutive pars but needed to escape a last-hole drama before taking his breakthrough victory with a final-round four-under par 68 to finish 72 holes on 17-under 271 at TPC San Antonio.
“A lot of hard work,” Landry said. “Today was a grind.”
Mullinax settled for a share of second with countryman Sean O’hair on 273 with American Jimmy Walker fourth on 274 and two-time major winner Zach Johnson fifth, another stroke adrift.
Landry led by one stroke at the 17th tee and two-putted for par from 53 feet while Mullinax botched his second shot, plunking it 10 feet into a bunker as he tried to reach an elevated green, and made bogey to fall two back entering the par-5 18th.
Mullinax left himself a nine-foot birdie putt while Landry needed to two-putt from 50 feet for the victory but rolled his first putt eight feet past the cup. Brief tension over a possible two-shot swing ended when Mullinax missed his birdie putt and seconds later, Landry sank his par putt to clinch the title.
LEVY REIGNS SUPREME
France’s Alexander Levy claimed his fifth European Tour title with a nerveless one-shot victory in the Trophee Hassan II on Sunday and boosted his outside hopes of making the Ryder Cup team in the process.
The 27-year-old started the final day at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam one shot off the lead but hit the front on the third hole before signing for a 70 and finishing the week at eight under for a 280 total. Spain’s Alvaro Quiros was second after a birdie-birdie finish helped him pass Swedish pair Alexander Bjork and Joakim Lagergren, Mikko Ilonen of Finland and Italian Andrea Pavan who were all two shots off Levy’s total. Sunday’s win adds to his titles at the 2014 and 2017 China Open, Portugal Masters in 2014 and the 2016 European Open. It should also elevate him into the world top 50.
MORIYA TRIUMPHS
Thai Golfer Moriya Jutanugarn finally joined her sister Ariya in the winner’s circle, closing with a threeunder 68 on Sunday to capture the LA Open. the 23-year-old moriya’s win by two strokes means that the Bangkok siblings join Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam as the only sisters to win on the USLPGA Tour.
Moriya was at a loss for words as she celebrated the win on the 18th green of the Wilshire Country Club with her family members and friends.
“My sister is crying more than me,” said Moriya as she wiped tears of joy. “I can’t tell you what I feel right now.”
Ariya, 22, watched the final putt drop from just off the green as she stood with her arm around their mother. When Moriya sank her putt to reach a 12-under 272 total, Ariya skipped onto the green and shared a long emotional hug with her older sister.