1 year ago
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LA QUINTA, Calif. -- Nick Dunlap became the archetypal amateur successful 33 years to triumph connected the PGA Tour, making a 6-foot par putt connected the last spread for a one-shot triumph implicit Christiaan Bezuidenhout astatine The American Express connected Sunday.
Dunlap, the 20-year-old University of Alabama sophomore and reigning U.S. Amateur champion, is the archetypal amateur victor since Phil Mickelson astatine the Tucson Open successful 1991. Playing successful conscionable his 4th circuit event, helium became lone the seventh amateur victor since 1945 - and the 3rd since 1957.
The lone amateur successful the 156-player tract successful the tourney agelong known arsenic the Bob Hope Desert Classic, Dunlap surged into a three-shot pb with a sizzling 60 successful the 3rd round. He mislaid that pb Sunday connected the beforehand 9 connected the Stadium Course astatine PGA West, but helium played with the resilience of a seasoned seasoned down the stretch, capped by his betterment from 2 errant shots connected the 18th for the winning par.
He ended up with a 2-under 70 to decorativeness astatine 29-under 259 and interruption the tourney scoring grounds arsenic a 72-hole event. He's besides the youngest victor successful the event's history, and helium became the youngest amateur to triumph connected the circuit since 1910.
Dunlap besides doesn't get the 500 FedEx Cup points - but his rewards are inactive ample. If helium stays astatine Alabama helium gets successful the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open arsenic the U.S. Amateur champion. If helium turns pro and joins the PGA Tour, helium inactive gets successful the Masters and U.S. Open, on with the remaining 7 $20 cardinal signature events connected tour.
Bezuidenhout closed with a 65.
LPGA TOUR
Lydia Ko rediscovered her winning interaction successful the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, closing with a 2-under 70 for a two-shot triumph implicit Alexa Pano astatine Lake Nona.
Ko, who finished astatine 14-under 274, won for the 20th clip connected the LPGA Tour. The 26-year-old from New Zealand became the seventh pistillate to triumph 20 LPGA titles earlier turning 27.
Ko was winless successful 20 LPGA starts a twelvemonth ago, and she present tin resume her quest for introduction into the exclusive LPGA Hall of Fame. Ko needs 27 points to get there, and the triumph Sunday enactment her conscionable 1 constituent away. Each regular LPGA triumph is worthy 1 point.
Sunday's last borderline was 2 shots, but Ko remained successful power passim the last round, played amid unseasonably chill temperatures that dipped into the 40s. Ko, bogey-free successful her 2nd and 3rd rounds, birdied 4 of her archetypal 15 holes Sunday against a azygous bogey to permission her pursuers battling for 2nd astir of the day.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Rory McIlroy won the Dubai Desert Classic for a grounds 4th time, completing a singular play by reeling successful Cameron Young aboriginal successful the last circular past holding disconnected Adrian Meronk to seal a one-stroke victory.
McIlroy closed with a 2-under 70 to clasp the rubric astatine a tourney helium archetypal won successful 2009 and has captured much than immoderate different successful his career. His latest triumph astatine Emirates Golf Club was surely the astir unlikely.
McIlroy walked to the 18th tee connected Friday trailing Young by 11 shots, lone to marque birdie, sprout 63 connected Saturday to get into the last pairing connected Sunday and past hitch retired the American's overnight two-stroke pb aft conscionable six holes.
Meronk (71), precocious crowned arsenic the European tour's subordinate of the twelvemonth for 2023, was had 4 birdies connected the backmost 9 for a 71. Young was 3rd aft shooting 74.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Steven Alker won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship astatine Hualalai connected Saturday for his 2nd consecutive PGA Tour Champions triumph and eighth successful 54 vocation starts.
The victor of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship successful November successful Phoenix, Alker won astatine Hualalai aft finishing 2nd the erstwhile 2 years. The 52-year-old New Zealander took a two-stroke pb into the last round, past closed with his 2nd consecutive 9-under 63 for a four-stroke triumph implicit Harrison Frazar.
OTHER TOURS
Santiago De La Fuente of Mexico birdied the past 2 holes for a 6-under 64, giving him a two-shot triumph successful the Latin America Amateur Championship and a berth successful the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. Omar Morales changeable 69 to decorativeness second. ... Kazuma Kobori of New Zealand closed with a 3-under 68 for a two-shot triumph successful the Webex Players Series-Murray River connected the PGA Tour of Australasia.
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