Points making big prizes

Golf: American holds off Goosen to take title in Porto Rico Open

American Darren Andrew Points held off the challenge of double US Open winner Retief Goosen to claim his first PGA Tour title since 2013 with victory in the Puerto Rico Open last night.

Points carded nine birdies in a final round of 66 at Coco Beach to finish 20- under- par 268, two ahead of South African Goosen and the American pair of Bryson DeChambeau and Bill Lunde.

Sam Saunders, the grandson of the late Arnold Palmer, was a shot further back in a tie for fifth, with Peter Uihlein and Whee Kim, with England’s Andrew Johnston part of a seven-way tie for 10th on 15 under.

Points made a stunning start to the final round with five straight birdies, only to bogey the sixth and eighth to fall a shot behind overnight leader Chris Stroud, who had birdied the second, fourth and sixth. Another bogey on the 10th looked to have taken Points out of contention as Goosen surged through the field on his way to a closing 64 to set the clubhouse target on 18 under.

However, the40-year-old Points rallied brilliantly on the back nine with birdies on the 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th to claim a third PGA Tour victory and the first prize of £433,000.

Johnston began the final roundtwoshots off thelead and remained in contention with three birdies on the front nine before picking up another shot on the 10th, but bogeyed the 13th and 17th.

Defending champion Gemma Batty and Stirling University teammate Sinead Sexton, an Irish international player, finished day one jointly atop the leaderboard at the Scottish student championships at Moray Golf Club's links at Lossiemouth.

Playing the OldCourse in ideal golfing conditions, Batty carded seven birdies, including a run of four in a row from the 13th, to end theday with a great score of four-under-par 71.

She was matched in the group behind by Sexton, whose round included five birdies and an eagle-3 at the par-5 11th. Tucked in just behind the lead is St Andrews' Alexa Hammer who carded a 72 with an electrifying end to the round that saw her birdie four of the last five holes.

The men began their 72hole quest with a round over the New Course, where the scoring overall was not quite as spectacul a r as the glorious weather.

However, the sun was certainly shining on Ricardo Cellerino from the University of Highlands and Islands and Laird Shepherd (Stirling) who completed the best rounds of the day to occupy jointly the top of the leaderboard at three-under-par 67.

They were followed closely by Aberdeen University's Rob Paterson and St Andrews' Matt Myers who each finished on 68.

The tournament continues today, with all players completing 18 holes on the New Course in an attempt to make the cut and come back tomorrow.

“A stunning start to the final round with five straight birdies”

SANDBLASTER: Darren Points plays his second shot from a bunker on the 11th hole yesterday