Grillo breaks long drought with victory at Colonial
Emiliano Grillo atoned for a double bogey on the final hole by making a five-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat Adam Schenk in the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge for the Argentine’s first PGA Tour title in seven-and-a-half years.
Grillo looked like a winner when he had a two-shot lead on the 18th at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. But his tee shot wound up well right into a culvert, and it tumbled down shallow water some 150 yards. He took a penalty drop, hit a poor chip and made double bogey for a 68.
Schenk missed a 20-foot birdie putt in regulation for the win. He shot 72. Harry Hall did get that chance. He drove left into the water on the 18th, made bogey for a 73 and missed the playoff by one shot, along with Scottie Scheffler (67), who had a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth.
Kiwi Ryan Fox finished with a round of 72 and dropped five places to a tie 21st, seven shots behind Grillo and Schenk.
Grillo’s only other win was the Frys.com Open in Napa, California, in October 2015. The victory moves him to No 42 in the world, getting him in the Masters by winning and securing a spot in the US Open, which takes the top 60 in the world in two weeks.
Schenk, the 31-year-old from Indiana, was runner-up for the second time this season.
Hillier fifth in Netherlands
Pablo Larrazabal birdied his last two holes for a three-under 69 and a twoshot victory in the KLM Open in the Netherlands, his second European tour title in four weeks.
Larrazabal overcame a double bogey on the second hole at Bernardus Golf, which created a wide open final round in which seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point.
The 40-year-old from Spain pulled ahead with a birdie on the par-three 17th, and then made a final birdie from 20 feet to win by two over Adrian Otaegui of Spain, who shot 70.
Larrazabal, who won the Korea Championship last month, has four wins over the past 15 months.
Rasmus Hojgaard (71) and Deon Germishuys (69) tied for third, while Kiwi Daniel Hillier (71) was one of three golfers tied for fifth, four shots off the pace and enough to earn him €66,682.
Stricker wins playoff
Steve Stricker beat Padraig Harrington on the first hole of a playoff in the Senior PGA Championship for his second senior major in as many played this year.
Stricker closed with a three-under 69. Harrington shot 70, with a birdie on the par-five 18th that forced a playoff between the last two Ryder Cup captains.
On the 18th in the playoff, Harrington hit his drive in deep grass right of the fairway. After a failed attempt to get it out, he took a drop and hit fairway metal to 15 feet. Harrington couldn’t make the par putt to extend the playoff.
Stricker’s victory, which comes after a win at the Regions Tradition, gets him into the PGA Championship next year at Valhalla. He now has six majors among his 14 wins on the PGA Tour Champions.
Stewart Cink finished birdie-eagle for a 69 to finish two shots behind in his senior debut.
Kiwi Steven Alker shot a finalround 71 to finish in a tie for fifth on nine-under, albeit nine shots behind Stricker and Harrington.
It was the first big event held at Fields Ranch East at the new headquarters of the PGA of America. The venue in Frisco, about 50km north of Dallas, is set to host the PGA Championship in 2027 and 2034.
Thai hits jackpot in Vegas
Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand capped off the longest week on the LPGA Tour with a 3-and-1 victory yesterday to win the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play over Ayaka Furue of Japan.
Anannarukarn, who beat Linn Grant of Sweden in the morning semifinals at Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, took the lead for good with a birdie on the par-five seventh hole.
Furue simply couldn’t catch up, and finished runner-up for the second straight year.
The match ended on the par-three 17th when Anannarukarn drilled her tee shot to a right pin about six feet to the right of the hole and Furue found a back bunker. Furue’s bunker shot hit the left side of the hole — had it hit the pin, it might have dropped — and rolled out some 12 feet. She conceded the match.
Anannarukarn won for the second time on the LPGA Tour. Her other title was the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland in 2021. She made eight birdies against Grant in the semifinals, superb golf considering the the fast, firm conditions of Shadow Creek.
Furue won all six of her matches until the last one. She beat Leona Maguire of Ireland in the semifinals.
Varner victorious
Harold Varner III won his first LIV Golf event yesterday when he twoputted from about 35 feet for birdie on the par-five 18th hole at Trump National in LIV Golf-DC.
Varner won by one shot over Branden Grace of South Africa, who moments earlier holed about a 20-foot birdie putt on the tough parfour second hole, his last of the shotgun start. Grace closed with a 66.
Mito Pereira, the 36-hole leader, shot 71 and finished third.
Varner won for the first time on American soil. He never won on the PGA Tour before signing on with the Saudi-funded league. His previous two professional wins were the Australian PGA Championship and Saudi International. Brooks Koepka shot 70 and tied for 12th.