RIDGELAND, S.C. (AP) — Garrick Higgo won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree for his first PGA Tour victory Sunday when leader Chesson Hadley blew a two-shot lead with bogeys on his final three holes.
Higgo, the 22-year-old left-hander from South Africa, shot a 3-under 68 and finished at 11 under in his second career tour event. Get ready to see more of him. The victory, along with $1,314,000, gives him PGA Tour status through the 2023 season.
It was a heartbreaking finish for Hadley, seemingly in control at 13 under with three holes to play. But he drove into a waste area on the 16th and could not get up and down after missing the 17th and 18th greens to give away victory.
Hadley finished with a 75 after opening 65-66-68. He fell into a tie for second at 10 under with Hudson Swafford (66), Doc Redman (67), Jhonattan Vegas (67), Tyrrell Hatton (68) and Bo Van Pelt (68).
To-ranked Dustin Johnson made a run at the top, coming within a shot Hadley after birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th holes. His chances ended with a triple bogey on the 16th hole and he finished with a 70 to tie for 10th.
LPGA TOUR
DALY CITY, Calif. (AP) — Matilda Castren became the first Finnish winner in LPGA Tour history in the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship, pulling away on the front-nine at foggy Lake Merced and holding off Min Lee by two strokes.
Two strokes behind Lee entering the final day of the tour’s two-week run on the San Francisco Peninsula, Castren birdied the first three holes, eagled the par-5 fifth and birdied the par-5 ninth for a front-nine 30.
Castern followed with eight straight pars and holed a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for a 7-under 65. The 26-year-old former Florida State player finished at 14-under 274 after tying for 30th last week in the U.S. Women’s Open at nearby Olympic Club.
Lee finished with a 69. She cut Castren’s lead to one with a birdie on the par-5 15th, but dropped a stroke with a two-putt bogey on the par-3 17th.
Lee missed a chance to became the first player to follow a Symetra Tour victory with an LPGA Tour win in her next start. The 26-year-old player from Taiwan won the Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship two weeks ago in Florida on the developmental tour.
Hannah Green (66) and So Yeon Ryu (67) tied for third at 8 under.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Jerry Kelly successfully defended his title in his hometown American Insurance Championship, closing with a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over Fred Couples and Miguel Angel Jimenez.
The 54-year-old Kelly finished at 14-under 202 at University Ridge for his eighth PGA Tour Champions victory.
Couples bogeyed the par-5 18th for a 68. The 61-year-old Couples won the 2017 tournament for the last of his 13 senior titles.
Jimenez, the leader after each of the first two rounds, shot a 69.
Jim Furyk (68) and Retief Goosen (68) tied for fourth at 12 under.
EUROPEAN TOUR/LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AP) — Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Caldwell won the inaugural Scandinavian Mixed for his first European Tour title, beating Spain’s Adrian Otaegui by a stroke.
The event at at Vallda Golf and Country Club was a first on the European Tour. It started with 78 men and 78 women competing on the same course for one trophy and one prize money pool. It was hosted by Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson.
The 37-year-old Caldwell closed with an 8-under 64 to finish at 17 under. Otaegui closed with a 67.
England’s Alice Hewson (69) and Australia’s Scott Hend (70) followed at 15 under.
KORN FERRY TOUR
GREER, S.C. (AP) — Mito Pereira won the BMW Charity Pro-Am to earn an immediate PGA Tour promotion and become the second straight player to win consecutive Korn Ferry Tour events.
The Rex Hospital Open winner last week in North Carolina, Pereira shot a 7-under 64 at Thornblade Club for a four-stroke victory over Justin Lower (71). The 26-year-old former Texas Tech player finished at 27-under 258.
Pereira earned the PGA Tour promotion as a three-time winner this season. He also wn the Country Club de Bogota Championship in February 2020.
Pereira is the 12th player in the 32-year history of the tour to earn a three-victory promotion and also the 12th to win consecutive events. He earned PGA Tour membership for the remainder of the season and the full 2021-22 season.
Cameron Young won the previous two events, the AdventHealth Championship and Evans Scholars Invitational.
OTHER TOURS
Belgium’s Kristof Ulenaers won the Challenge de Cadiz in Spain in his European Challenge Tour debut. Ulenaers led wire-to-wire at Iberostar Real Club de Golf Novo Sancti Petri, closing with an even-par 72 for a five-stroke victory. He finished at 19 under. … Brandon Matthews birdied the par-5 18th for a one-stroke victory over Sam Stevens in the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s The Club at Weston Hills Open in Florida. Matthews closed with a 5-under 67 to finish at 22 under. .. Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux won the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass in Michigan for her first Symetra Tour title. She finished with a 5-under 67 and 17-under 199 total to beat Canada’s Maude-Aimee Leblanc by a stroke. Metraux is second on the money list with $61,680, with the final top 10 earning LPGA Tour cards. … Serena Aoki won the Japan LPGA’s Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open, closing with a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Miyuu Yamashita, Mao Saigo and Mone Inami. Aoki finished at 17 under.
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