Fritelli’s 64 leads to first PGA Tour title
While the rest of the leaders faltered yesterday, Dylan Frittelli surged to his first PGA Tour title.
Frittelli won the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill., closing with a 7-under-par 64 for a 2-stroke victory ahead of Russell Henley. The South African earned a spot next week in the British Open, finishing at 21-under 263 after the bogey-free final round at TPC Deere Run.
One of eight players within 2 strokes of the lead entering the lead, Frittelli was looking forward to the tournament’s charter flight to Royal Portrush.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a fun flight,” Frittelli said.
A two-time winner on the European Tour, Frittelli birdied the par-5 17th after blasting out of a greenside bunker to 11 feet, and closed with a par on the par-4 18th.
Frittelli had tied for 46th in each of his past two starts.
“I don’t want to say it was easy out there. It just felt a whole lot easier than it has been the last few weeks,” Frittelli said. “I calmed my nerves down.”
Henley shot a tournament-best 61. Andrew Landry, who opened yesterday in a two-way tie for the lead, was 18-under after a 69.
Rookie Collin Morikawa (66), the runner-up last week in Minnesota, and Chris Stroud (67) followed at 17-under. Morikawa hit all 18 greens in regulation.
Henley’s career-low effort included six birdies on the back nine, capped by one on 18 — the same hole he double-bogeyed Friday. Henley made six putts of at least 7 feet, including 26 and 46.
“If you would have told me at the start of the day, ‘We’ll give you 66,’ I’d have said, ‘That’s pretty good.’ So to get 5 better than that is awesome,” Henley said.
Wiesberger prevails
Bernd Wiesberger beat Benjamin Hebert in a playoff at the Scottish Open in North Berwick for his sixth European Tour title.
Hebert shot 62 to set the clubhouse target on 22 under at The Renaissance Club but overnight leader Wiesberger (69) recovered from a slow start to reclaim top spot with his fourth birdie of the day on the 16th, only to bogey the 17th and then hole from five feet on the last to force a playoff.
Wiesberger parred the third playoff hole to win.
The Frenchman had the consolation of sealing one of the three qualifying places for the British Open starting Thursday at Royal Portrush, with Andrew Johnston (62) and Italy’s Nino Bertasio (68) taking the other two.
Kim wins Marathon
Sei Young Kim won the Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season, making five straight birdies in a mid-round burst and shooting a 6-under 66 for a 2-stroke victory ahead of Lexi Thompson.
Kim began the birdie run on No. 7 and finished at a tournament-record 22-under 262 at Highland Meadows Golf Club. The 26-yearold South Korean player has nine tour titles, also winning the LPGA Mediheal Championship in May.
“I really wanted another win, especially this week, because the last two weeks I play really bad,” Kim said.
Thompson, a stroke behind Kim entering the day, closed birdie-eagle for a 66.
“She played some amazing golf,” Thompson said. “I didn’t have my best ballstriking day, but 5-under, finished well. She played amazing. It’s very well deserved.”
Goosen dominates
Retief Goosen birdied the final two holes to win the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone in Akron, Ohio, for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
The 50-year-old Hall of Famer broke a tie for the lead with a 15-foot putt at 17 and made a 10-footer at 18 for a 2-under 68 and a 2-stroke victory ahead of Jay Haas and Tim Petrovic . ...
Tony Romo completed a wire-to-wire victory in the American Century Championship for his second straight victory in the celebrity tournament in Nevada.