Former Cal star Homa captures first PGA Tour title
Former Cal star Max Homa held his nerve during an hour-long rain delay before closing out an emphatic three-stroke victory at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday.
Homa belied his world ranking of 417 by proving remarkably steady under pressure as he shot a 4-under 67 at Quail Hollow to clinch his first victory on the PGA Tour in his 69th career start.
Hitting a trusty fade with his driver and putting with remarkable precision in a display that suggested he will be no one-hit wonder, the 28-year-old Californian finished at 15-under 269.
He capped off the week in style by sinking a 10-foot putt at the last as two ducks waddled nearby on the fringe of the green, oblivious to Homa’s life-changing moment.
“(I am) over the moon, man,” Homa, the 2013 American collegiate individual champion, said in a greenside interview after punching his ticket for the year’s second major, the PGA Championship starting on May 16 at Bethpage in New York.
“It means a lot to me to do this under pressure and job security’s great. I haven’t had that before. I had some serious scar tissue.”
The victory secured Homa a two-year exemption on the tour and will lift him to the brink of the top 100 when the world rankings are updated today.
Fellow American Joel Dahmen, who started the day tied for the lead with Homa and Jason Dufner, shot 70 to claim second place on 12-under.
Justin Rose (68) was another shot back in third.
Dahmen, who was also seeking his first tour victory, and Rose kept Homa honest, but the champion was not to be denied.
“I didn’t beat myself today,” said Dahmen, who
could hardly have been happier for the winner and was looking forward to a big night on the town.
“He’s a good friend of mine and I think we’re going to celebrate tonight.”
World No. 2 Rose, in his first start after missing the cut at the Masters, battled his long game but nonetheless eked out a strong result.
Spaniard Sergio Garcia also vaulted into contention by going 5-under over a five-hole stretch around the turn, but he had left himself with too much ground to make up.
With two late bogeys, he shot 68 and tied for fourth with Dufner, Rickie Fowler and Paul Casey on 9-under.
LPGA
KIM WINS AT LAKE MERCED >> Kim Sei-young Kim birdied the first extra hole to win the LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced in Daly City and improve her playoff record to 4-0.
Kim overcame a dreadful start to the final round — a double bogey on the first hole followed by a bogey — and bided her time before coming through at the end for her eighth victory on the LPGA Tour.
A tap-in birdie at the
par-5 18th for a 3-over 75 lifted her into a threeway playoff with fellow South Korean Lee Jeongeun and England’s Bronte Law.
Kim then birdied the same hole in the playoff, sinking a three-footer after her two rivals had missed from about double that distance.
“It was really frustrating, starting really bad,” 25-year-old Kim told Golf Channel.
“Even then I try to keep going and focus.”
NASCAR
WET WEATHER STOPS RACE IN TRACKS >> Rain in Delaware forced the postponement of the Gander RV 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway until today.
The race is now scheduled for 9 a.m. with a forecast for near ideal weather conditions. The race will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.
Pole-sitter Chase Elliott, who won a week ago at Talladega, will lead the field to green.
Next to Elliott on the front row will be Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron.
A pre-race inspection, though, resulted in some changes in the field behind the front row.
The fifth-place qualifier Alex Bowman, 13th-place Martin Truex Jr., 29th-place Ryan Preece and 32nd-place Matt Tifft all failed multiple inspections and were forced to drop to the rear for the start of the race.
The green flag on Sunday was scheduled to drop at 2:10 p.m. EST but the wet track scuttled that idea.
College football
HERALDED QB COMMITS TO TIGERS >> DJ Uiagalelei, a heralded quarterback recruit in the class of 2020, verbally committed to Clemson on Sunday.
The five-star prospect from California’s St. John Bosco High made the announcement on social media, posting a two-minute video on Twitter that ends with him revealing his decision. He selected Clemson over Oregon.
“I am announcing my commitment to Clemson University. I’m all in. Go Tigers,” Uiagalelei said while standing at the 50-yard line at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium wearing a Tigers uniform.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Uiagalelei passed for 3,666 yards and 48 touchdowns and rushed for six scores last season.
He also starred in baseball as a pitcher with a 95 mph fastball and plans to continue playing in college.
Uigalelei is ranked as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the nation and No. 13 overall at all positions by the 247Sports composite.
Tennis
CHILEAN GARIN STAYS HOT >> Unseeded Cristian Garin of Chile continued his sizzling start to 2019 with a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (1) victory against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the final at the BMW Open by FWU in Munich.
The 22-year-old Garin has a 19-5 record on clay this year.