ON T H E P G A TO UR
Leishman cruises to CIMB Classic win
Tway wins Safeway Open
Kevin Tway made a 10-foot birdie putt
on the third hole of a playoff to win
the season-opening Safeway Open at
windy Silverado for his first PGA TOUR
title. The son of eight-time PGA TOUR
winner Bob Tway, the 30-year-old former
Oklahoma State player beat Ryan Moore
on the par-4 10th after Brandt Snedeker
dropped out on their first extra trip down
the par-5 18th. “It was nice to get hot at
the end,” Tway said. “I wasn’t really in it
on the front nine. Brandt made a couple
bogeys starting the back. I was kind of
right there, but kind of hanging around.
Birdied 17, 18 to get into the playoff
and then kept it going in the playoff
Leishman cheering after his great shot
Leishman, who was solo in Malaysia as wife
Audrey looked after the kids back home in
Virginia Beach, Virginia, said he was hitting
it every which way on the driving range. He
kept at it, though, and ¿ gured something
out with his driver as he recorded scores
of 68-62-67-65. His 26-under total tied the
CIMB record at TPC Kuala Lumpur, and left
him well clear of T2s Emiliano Grillo (66),
Chesson Hadley (66) and Bronson Burgoon
(68). Two-time CIMB winner and 2017
FedExCup champion Justin Thomas shot a
¿ nal-round 64 to tie for ¿ fth. Now the TOUR
heads to THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES
at Jeju Island, Korea, where Thomas beat
Leishman in a sudden-death playoff last year.
Leishman said, “Yes, I
want to win trophies and
lucky enough today to be
leaving with one, which
my kids will be very happy
about, by the way. But if
I wasn’t to walk away the
winner today, that’s all
right, too. As long as
I give it my best shot,
that’s what it’s all about.”
It’s helpful, sometimes, to view the TOUR as
one long story with lots of similar themes.
Last week, Kevin Tway, son of eight-time
TOUR winner Bob, got his ¿ rst win at the
Safeway Open as Dad watched through tears
on TV. The CIMB was also, in its way, about
fatherhood.
Tway is the champion
-- and here I am.” After the wind died
down in the late afternoon on the tree-
lined North Course, Tway birdied the final
two holes in regulation for a 1-under 71,
then birdied all three holes in the playoff.
Snedeker, three strokes ahead entering
the day and five in front with 11 to play,
had four back-nine bogeys in a 74. “Really
disappointing,” Snedeker said. “Played a
really good front nine in tough conditions
and made the turn on the back nine and
actually drove the ball really well. Had a lot
of opportunities, just hit some really poor
iron shots, left myself in places you can’t
do it. Didn’t make any putts.”
Two-time defending champion Brendan
Steele had a 75 to finish at 3 under.
Clutch Koepka closes again
Don’t give Brooks Koepka a lead. Chances are
he’s not giving it back. Koepka walked out in
South Korea without a scratch on him as he
claimed THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES by four
shots. Just glancing at the leaderboard, which
shows the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the
Year closing with an 8-under 64 – including
a 7-under 29 on the back nine to shoot 21
under – makes it appear this wasn’t a contest
on Jeju Island. Oh but it was. It’s just Koepka
is fast developing the reputation as the clutch
king. Give him a sniff of the trophy and you’re
going to need a mighty effort to keep it
from him. In fact, sometimes a mighty effort
won’t be enough. Gary Woodland shot 63,
joining the lead on a handful of occasions.
But Koepka – who had the pressure of the
tournament and the fact he could claim world
26 G o l f P l u s
NOVEMBER
No. 1 status on his shoulders – answered
with authority every time. “I always felt like
I was in control, I felt like I was playing good
and I felt like he played a great round, but
I always felt like I was in control, which is a
good feeling,” Koepka said. While the 15th
was a critical punch, the 16th hole was
the killer blow. A poor drive into a bunker
turned into a slightly hooked approach into
the rough. Pressure and tension were surely
building but Koepka not only recovered from
the tough spot – he chipped in for birdie.
His journey to the top of the world rankings
though has been anything but. This was his
12th victory worldwide, including four wins
on the European Challenge Tour where he
started his career. He now has wins in seven
countries – the U.S., South Korea, Spain,
2018
Koepka’s back to back winnings
Italy, Japan, Turkey and Scotland. Five of
them are PGA TOUR wins. Three are major
championships. Three of them have come in
the last 11 starts. Koepka has now won three
of five times he has held the lead or co-lead
after 54 holes.