Eckroat leads as heavy rains force Monday finish for PGA tournament
Austin Eckroat left PGA National with a share of the lead Saturday. He left with the outright lead Sunday. He’ll have to come back Monday to finish the job.
A Monday finish awaits in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., after the final round was interrupted by thunderstorms that brought nearly 2 inches of rain in a hurry Sunday afternoon and forced everyone off the course for 3½ hours.
Eckroat was the leader at 15 under through seven holes, one shot ahead of Erik van Rooyen — who roared up the leaderboard by opening his round with six consecutive birdies on his way to an 8-under-par 63. He finished at 14-under 270, and now waits to see what’ll happen.
Van Rooyen is alone in second, and Jake Knapp — the winner last week in Mexico — was 5 under on his day through 15 holes, ending Sunday at 13 under and alone in third, two shots back.
Billy Horschel (5 under through 17) was in the group at 12 under, along with Keith Mitchell (65), Shane Lowry (who completed five holes), and Alex Noren (who completed 12 holes).
Van Rooyen started the day tied for 31st and seven shots off the 54-hole lead that was shared by Lowry, David Skinns, and Eckroat — but needed only eight holes to catch them. He was 8 under on the day through 11 holes and the outright leader when the rain came, but even par following the restart.
LPGA — Hannah Green made a stunning 30-foot birdie at the final hole to clinch a one-stroke victory over Celine Boutier at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Green made birdies on the final three holes in a final-round 67 for a 13-under 275 at Sentosa Golf Club.
It was the 27-year-old Australian's fourth LPGA title, and first since the JM Eagle LA Championship last year.
Boutier (67), who had said Saturday she was attending Taylor Swift’s Singapore concert as “a nice way to relax” for the final round, seemed destined to win Sunday as she pulled two strokes clear in the final stages.
Boutier, who won four titles last season, finished at 12-under 276.
Yuna Nishimura (66) had six birdies in a blemish-free final round to end up at 9-under 279 and in a four-way tie for third with Brooke Henderson (68), Mi Hyang Lee (67), and Nasa Hataoka (69).
Overnight leader Ayaka Furue of Japan had a disappointing round of 3 over as she slipped to a tie for eighth in the 66-player, no-cut tournament. European — Jordan Gumberg, an American ranked No. 669, was a surprise winner of the SDC Championship in Eastern Cape, South Africa, when he beat Robin Williams in a playoff.
The final round only went to a playoff after Williams made double bogey at No. 17 to move to 12 under with Gumberg.
Gumberg, who started the day three shots off the lead, holed a birdie putt from around 15 feet at the second playoff hole for the victory.
LIV — Joaquin Niemann won his second title in three starts, closing with a 4-under 66 to capture the event in Saudi Arabia with a four-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.