Bryan takes home RBC Heritage — no tricks
Wesley Bryan rallied to win his home-state RBC Heritage for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 4-under 67 on Sunday for a onestroke victory over Luke Donald.
Bryan, a South Carolina native who played college golf for the Gamecocks, was four shots behind entering the day and moved into contention with four consecutive birdies on the front nine. He took the lead with a birdie on the 15th hole and finished at 13-under 271.
Donald shot 68 in his latest close call at Harbour Town Golf Links — it was his fifth second-place finish here since 2009.
The 27-year-old Bryan tapped in for par on the closing, 18th lighthouse hole to make the former trick-shot artist the first South Carolinian to win the state’s lone PGA Tour event.
Ollie Schniederjans, Patrick Cantlay and William McGirt tied for third, two strokes behind Bryan.
Schniederjans shot 68, Cantlay 67 and McGirt 69.
Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., finished in a tie for sixth after a 2-over final round. Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. tied for 22nd and David Hearn finished in a tie for 59th.
Bryan was largely known as a YouTube sensation, he and brother George IV, another Gamecocks golfer, pulling off often unbelievable trick shots — like chipping the ball 20 yards to a waiting Bryan brother to belt away before it hits the ground.
There were no tricks to Wesley Bryan’s round this time, the first to win at Harbour Town in his first try since Boo Weekley won the first of his two straight RBC Heritages in 2007.
Bryan got it going with his front-nine run, with birdies on the fourth, fifth, sixth and seven holes. After Bryan moved in front on the 15th, he sweated out three straight two-putt pars.
The 23-year-old Schniederjans, five shots behind when the round began, made it all up and was out front with five front-nine birdies. Competing for his first PGA Tour win at the tricky Pete Dye layout proved too daunting for the inexperienced Schniederjans.