O N T H E P G A TO U R
Bryson’s spectacular 58-foot eagle Kizzire outlasts Fowler
Bryson DeChambeau holed an eagle putt from just inside 60 feet on
the 16th hole that carried him to a 5-under 66 and a one-shot victory
over Patrick Cantlay in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
DeChambeau won for the fourth time in his last 12 starts on the PGA
TOUR. He had to survive a wild back nine at the TPC Summerlin
in which four players had a share of the lead at some point. Cantlay,
trying to become the fi rst player to win back-to-back in Las Vegas in
nearly 20 years, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th hole to
take a one-shot lead. But from a bunker right of the green on the par-3
17th, Cantlay
was fooled by
the amount of
sand under his
ball and fl ubbed
the shot. One
hole behind him,
DeChambeau
rolled in his
long eagle putt
from just off
the green and
celebrated with
a big uppercut.
Cantlay missed
his long par
putt, giving
DeChambeau
control of the
tournament.
Cantlay birdied
the 18th for a 65,
but it wasn’t enough when DeChambeau played the fi nal two holes
conservatively for pars to fi nish at 21-under 263. DeChambeau won
for the third straight season, and fi fth time overall on the PGA TOUR.
DeChambeau won for the fi fth time in just his 68th start as a pro on
the PGA TOUR, dating to his victory in the John Deere Classic in
2017. After a marathon finish to the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, Patton
Kizzire is officially a winner on the PGA Tour. Here’s how things
ended in Mexico as Kizzire held off a hard-charging Rickie Fowler
over 36 holes on the final day. Kizzire started the day with a share
of the lead, but he moved one shot in front after his third-round
66 in the morning edged Fowler’s 67. With one of the game’s
biggest stars on his heels, Kizzire birdied three of his first five holes
during the final round and led by three
shots with three holes to play. Fowler
“It was pretty
birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to cut the lead
nerve-wracking, but
to a shot, but Kizzire hung on to earn his
first career PGA Tour victory and a spot in
I felt good. I’ve been in
some pretty tough spots the 2018 Masters. Kizzire pulled his drive
on the final hole, leading to an awkward
before, and I drew on
stance on the edge of a bunker. But after
those experiences. It
adjusting his feet and choking up on an
means a lot.”
8-iron, he found the green with his last
approach to set up a title-clinching par.
Howell III ends winless streak
e started The RSM Classic’s fi nal round with a one-shot lead. It
was the sixth 54-hole lead of his career. He’d lost the previous
fi ve, another frustrating statistic in a career defi ned by what he
hasn’t achieved. Howell trailed by three shots when he arrived
at the third tee. “Sometimes you wonder, well, maybe you just don’t
have it in you,” he said. “Maybe today is just not the day. More than
likely I won’t be winning the golf tournament.” Howell has heard all
of the criticisms levied against his long and consistent career. He’s
brought the same charges against himself. But it was different, though.
He proved his harshest critic – himself – wrong. The 39-year-old won
his third PGA TOUR title with an unprecedented performance. He
summoned his best golf at the most important moment. Now he will
take the FedExCup lead into the New Year. “I thought I had it in me,
but I had never seen me do it,” Howell said. “It’s kind of like the guy
who thinks he can dunk, but if you can’t dunk, you just can’t do it.” The
comeback began quietly, with birdies at Nos. 5 and 6. Then he started
the back nine with another birdie. But with a jammed leaderboard on
a low-scoring day, he would need more than the occasional birdie. He
two-putted the par-5 15th for birdie. Then he holed an 18-footer birdie
on 16. He hit his tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 17th. His work wasn’t
over, though. His birdie putt on 18 missed by the smallest of margins.
24 G o l f P l u s
DECEMBER
2018
He fell to his knees and dropped his putter in despair. “I thought, man,
I’ve seen this movie before and I know how it ends,” he said. Last
year, he barely missed a birdie putt on the fi nal hole of the Quicken
Loans National, then lost a playoff to Kyle Stanley.