Hoge finally breaks through at Pebble
Another cliffhanger at Pebble Beach, this one memorable for Tom Hoge delivering all the right shots on the back nine to surge past Jordan Spieth and win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Monterey Peninsula in California for his first PGA Tour title.
Hoge, one of seven players who had at least a share of the lead Sunday, came within inches of holing out from the 16th fairway, tapping in for birdie to catch Spieth. Then after Spieth made bogey from the bunker on the par-3 17th, Hoge rolled in a birdie from just outside 20 feet.
He closed with a par for a 4under 68.
Hoge, a 32-year-old who grew up in North Dakota, had been runner-up twice in his previous 202 starts on the PGA Tour, most recently at The American Express two weeks ago.
His time came amid the magnificent setting of Pebble Beach under a clear sky, and it didn’t come easy with so many players in the mix for so long.
Spieth looked like a winner when he birdied the 12th and 13th holes, and he reached the 15th tee with a two-shot lead. But he missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th, and only as he stood under the pine in fairway on the par-5 18th did he realize he needed an eagle.
He caught a sandy lie that left him in a fairway bunker, and the best he could do was par for a 69. Hoge had to wait for Beau Hossler, one of three players who shared the 54hole lead, who needed eagle on the 18th to force a playoff.
Hossler sent his fairway metal right into a bunker, blasted out long and threeputted for bogey for a 71 to finish alone in third.
Hoge earned his first trip to Augusta National for the Masters, along with getting a two-year exemption. Until this year, his best season on the PGA Tour was in 2020 when he was 50th in the FedEx Cup and won just over $1.8 million. Hoge finished at 19-under 268 and earned $1,566,000.
Varner’s eagle wins it
Harold Varner III holed a 90-foot putt for eagle on the final hole to go from one shot behind to a stunning victory in the Saudi International at King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. Varner finished with a 1-under 69 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club for his second victory worldwide. His other win was the Australian PGA on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Varner faced a tough task to even two-putt for birdie and force a playoff with Bubba Watson, who closed with a 64. He did one better, a putt that went from one end of the 18th green to the other. Varner threw his putter to the ground and pumped his arms to celebrate. Varner finished at 13-under 267. He won $1 million from the $5 million prize fund, along with whatever appearance money he received from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund that attracted 21 of the top 50 players in the world.
Dane holds on for win
Nicolai Hojgaard won his second European Tour title when he closed with a 4-under 68 for a four-shot victory in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in United Arab Emirates. Hojgaard, 20, of Denmark, started with a three-shot lead and appeared to be in control until a double bogey on the ninth hole and, a bogey on the 12th. Jordan Smith (66) had seven birdies in 14 holes to take a two-shot lead. Hojgaard recovered with a birdie on the 13th and an eagle from the waste area on the par-5 14th.