America’s Cameron Younger snatched the distinguished Gamers Championship title from Matt Fitzpatrick’s grasp in a pulsating end at TPC Sawgrass.
Fitzpatrick, trying to turn into the primary Englishman to win the PGA Tour’s flagship occasion, led by one on the seventeenth tee, however a par-bogey end price him as Younger closed birdie-par to finish the most important victory of his profession by one stroke.
Younger shot a four-under-par 68 to win his second PGA Tour title on 13 underneath par, with Fitzpatrick ending second on 12 underneath after capturing the identical remaining spherical rating.
Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre shared the lead deep into the again 9, however the left-handed Ryder Cup star’s problem ultimately ended within the water on the sixteenth as he signed for a 69 to complete fourth on 10 underneath, one shot behind his taking part in companion Xander Schauffele, who had three birdies in his remaining 4 holes to climb to 3rd on 11 underneath.
ABERG SUFFERS WATERY FINISH
All 4 gamers got a shot on the title after third spherical chief Ludvig Aberg, who held a three-shot lead going into the again 9, imploded after discovering water on each the eleventh and twelfth holes, costing him these three photographs.
Fitzpatrick, who had missed birdie possibilities from 15, 11, 11 and 7 toes on 4 successive holes from the eighth, birdied 12 and 13 to surge into the lead on 13 underneath. However Younger caught with him, additionally choosing up a shot on the brief thirteenth to remain one again.
Younger was nonetheless one adrift on the notoriously difficult par-three seventeenth, with its inexperienced nearly surrounded by water. However he discovered the inexperienced and rolled in a 10-foot birdie, whereas Fitzpatrick might solely two-putt for par and the gamers headed to the 18th tee for a final-hole shootout.
FINAL HOLE DRAMA
Younger smashed the right drive, a 375-yard effort that curved proper to left to depart him in the midst of the golf green, whereas Fitzpatrick’s went straight and among the many bushes, leaving him unable to achieve the inexperienced in two. From there he was left with a difficult chip from 20 yards in need of the sport to a again pin, which he did properly to hit to 10 toes.
Younger’s strategy to 18 discovered the again the inexperienced, some 15 toes from the pin, however after the American’s birdie try slid 12 inches previous the opening, Fitzpatrick was left needing to gap his par putt to maintain his hopes alive. The putt slipped agonisingly previous the cup, leaving Younger a easy tap-in to say the $4.5 million first prize.
After securing his maiden PGA Tour title eventually yr’s Wyndham Championship, Younger admitted that breaking his duck seven months in the past had helped him to play with somewhat extra freedom this season.
He mentioned: “In some sense there’s somewhat little bit of strain off, however the identical strain that I’ve placed on myself since I used to be a child remains to be there. So, it’s extra a battle towards that than any strain of not successful or not successful sufficient. However to have now put my title on two completely different tournaments, and a giant one like The Gamers, is extremely particular and I’m hoping that I can proceed that all through the season.”
For all of the scores from The Gamers Championship, click on right here.
