PGA goes to playoff
Webb Simpson birdies final three holes and wins playoff at Phoenix Open.
Webb Simpson was in big trouble when he drove into the right-side water on the par-5 15th.
“I didn’t think it was over,” Simpson said. “But I thought, ‘I’m going to really have to do something special to get back in it.’ ”
He did — at friend Tony Finau’s expense Sunday in the Waste Management Phoenix Open on a TPC Scottsdale course that played tougher with firm greens and a touch of wind.
Simpson birdied the final two holes of regulation to force a playoff with Finau, then won with a 10foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.
Two strokes ahead with two holes left, Finau missed an 18-foot birdie try in the playoff on the par-4 18th after driving left into the church pew bunkers.
Simpson two-putted for birdie from the fringe on the short par-4 17th and made a 17-footer for birdie from the edge of the green on the 18th. Finau, after hitting a 366-yard drive and an approach to 8 feet, missed a chance to win when his birdie try slid right.
Simpson closed with a 2under 69 to match Finau at 17-under 267.
“Today was a lot different. Today played tougher,” Simpson said. “I thought the pins were very tough, by far the toughest day of pins, course was longer, we had wind. We hadn’t had wind all week, so everything today was harder.”
Finau shot 70.
“I hit good putts,” Finau said. “The first one I hit really good, I thought I made it . ... Second one, similar line, a little bit farther, decided to play a little bit more break and it didn’t break.”
Simpson won his sixth PGA Tour title and first since the 2018 Players Championship. The 2012 U.S. Open champion improved to 2-6 in playoffs, three years after falling to Hideki Matsuyama in extra holes at TPC Scottsdale. Simpson also lost a playoff in November in the RSM Classic.
“I think getting frustrated after RSM led to being better prepared for [Sunday],” Simpson said.
McDowell ends drought
Graeme McDowell closed with an even-par 70 to win the Saudi International in King Abdullah Economic City by two shots over Dustin Johnson and collect his first European Tour title since 2014. With the victory, McDowell moves back into the top 50 in the world for the first time in nearly five years. He finished at 12-under 268 for his 16th victory worldwide.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson pitched in for eagle on the final hole for a 3-under 67 to close within two shots. McDowell saved par on the 17th and made a 5-foot par on the final hole for the victory. Phil Mickelson shot 67 and tied for third with Thomas Pieters (65) and Gavin Green (70). Brooks Koepka, the No. 1 player in the world, closed with a 2over 72 to tie for 17th.