DALLAS – Aaron Wise strolled up the 18th fairway in the fading twilight, lifting his hat over his head a couple of times as the thinned-out crowd cheered what would soon be his first PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

The 21-year-old rookie pulled away from Marc Leishman at the turn after a four-hour rain delay to start the final round at the new Trinity Forest course Sunday. Then it was just a race to finish before nightfall so he wouldn’t have to wait at least another 12 hours to celebrate.

Wise shattered the Nelson record at 23 under, shooting a 6-under 65 to beat Leishman by three strokes as both became the first to finish the Nelson at 20 under or better. Leishman, who shared the third-round lead with Wise after leading the first two days, shot 68.

The treeless links-style par-71 layout, a few miles south of downtown Dallas, was defenceless with softer fairways and greens and no wind once the morning storms passed.

The Nelson celebrated its 50th anniversary with a return to Dallas after 35 years at the TPC Four Seasons in suburban Irving. Rory Sabbatini set the previous record on that par-70 layout at 19-under 261 in 2009.

“It’s everything I’ve dreamed of,” said Wise, who won once each on the Web.com and Canadian tours. “I felt like when it rained today I was really going to tear the course up just because it allowed me to hit driver, which is my strength. I got a lot of short irons in my hand and was able to make a lot birdies.”

Branden Grace matched his career-best 62 from last year’s British Open _ which was the lowest round ever in a major and finished at 19 under with J.J. Spaun and Keith Mitchell, who had matching 63s.

Hometown star Jordan Spieth again couldn’t improve on his best Nelson finish from his first start as a 16-year-old amateur in 2010. The three-time major winner, and highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3, shot 67 to finish at 11 under. Spieth tied for 21st.

Instead, Spieth has been joined by another 21-and-under winner, with Wise cruising a month shy of his 22nd birthday and two weeks after the 2016 NCAA individual champion at Oregon tied for second at the Wells Fargo Championship, two shots behind Jason Day.

Spieth doesn’t have a top 10 finish in eight Nelson appearances, the most of any tournament for him.

“Felt like I played better than I scored,” Spieth said. “Typically when you say that, it just means putts didn’t go in.”

Mitchell, also a rookie seeking his first win, and Ryan Blaum had matching 30s on the front nine, with both playing the last six holes on that side in 5 under. But Wise had five birdies over those six holes, and added one on the 10th while Leishman bogeyed.

His lead suddenly at four shots, Wise cruised from there without another par _ and didn’t need one. Blaum’s run of five straight birdies ended with a bogey at 10, one of three on the back nine for him. He shot 66 and finished at 16 under with Kevin Na (68) and Jimmy Walker (67).

Leishman set a 36-hole Nelson record that was previously shared by Tiger Woods because of calm wind the first two rounds. A blustery Saturday brought scores up, but Trinity Forest was even more benign for the final round than it was the first two without its firm fairways and greens.

“Springtime in Texas, this is very rare to have three days with no wind,” Spieth said. “This course typically plays like (Saturday). That’s what you’re looking at normally three out of the four days here.”

Adam Scott shot 65 to finish tied for ninth at 15 under but was projected to finish just outside the top 60 needed to avoid sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open. The 2013 Masters champion hasn’t missed a major since 2001.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Brooke Henderson made a late run at the Kingsmill Championship on Sunday, missing out on a three-person playoff by one stroke . The Smiths Falls, Ont., native finished the rain-shortened event at 13 under par to collect a fourth place finish.

“I just had a lot of great energy today. I started off with three birdies right off the start. Felt like I could really go low today, which is a great feeling,” said Henderson. “I came up a little bit short this week, but just to be in the hunt again and to feel that kind of adrenaline and to see my name at the top of leaderboard, it’s always a lot of fun.”

Henderson made it interesting down the stretch with three consecutive birdies in her last four holes, making a charge at the leaders.

“Yeah, it was pretty awesome. I just felt like — I was in the groove, and I felt like I could make birdies and I could make a charge, so I’m really happy I was able to do that,” added Henderson.

Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s final-round 65 at the @KingsmillLPGA ??? pic.twitter.com/4kSBOW7M1n

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) May 21, 2018

Ariya Jutanugarn arrived at Kingsmill Championship with no expectations, and it was a strategy that paid off handsomely.

The 22-year-old Thai star birdied the second hole of a playoff Sunday to win the LPGA Tour event for the second time in three years.

“I’m going to say I didn’t expect anything this week because I think I have been playing … very good like the last few tournaments and I’m still not winning the tournaments,” she said. “So show up this week, I just tell myself I’m not going to expect anything. I’m going to really focus on the things under my control and make sure I’m going to have good commitment every shot.”

“When I’m thinking about winning, I never win,” Jutanugarn said. She became the 12th winner in as many events on the tour this season.

Jutanugarn closed with a 5-under 66 to match Nasa Hataoka (67) and In Gee Chun (68) at 14-under 199.

Jutanugarn and Hataoka both birdied the first extra hole, with Chun dropping out. The 19-year-old Hataoka putted first on the second extra hole and missed badly from just off the back of the 18th green before Jutanugarn rolled in a 15-footer for her eighth career victory.

“I couldn’t believe I played in a playoff in such an early stage in my career,” Hataoka said. “I’m just going to try to keep going for the rest of the year.”

Jutanugarn’s older sister, Moriya, won the HUGEL-JTBC Championship in Los Angeles in April for her first LPGA Tour victory

Jutanugarn started the day two shots behind Chun and used a stretch of five birdies in six holes to build a two-shot lead before making bogey at the par-5 15th,, one of the easiest holes on the course.

“After that I got a little bit mad, but my caddie just told me … we can’t go back and change anything,” she said. “All we can do is just what we have now. Try to hit a good shot.”

Hataoka, playing with Chun in the final threesome, birdied No. 15 to join Jutanugarn at 14 under, and Chun made a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th to also get to 14 under.

It was the eighth top 10 finish of the season for Jutanugarn, the only player on the women’s tour to have made the cut in every event she’s played.

It was the fourth playoff in the history of the tournament.

The tournament was cut from 72 holes to 54 when rain washed out play Saturday.

Megan Khang was fifth after her third straight 67.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., finished at 3 under, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was at 1 over.

.@BrookeHenderson on her 4th place finish at the @KingsmillLPGA ???? pic.twitter.com/M0oUeV0w3p

— CP Women’s Open (@cpwomensopen) May 21, 2018

DALLAS – The wind finally blew on the new Trinity Forest course at the AT&T Byron Nelson.

Aaron Wise wasn’t rattled, not even by a bogey that dropped him into a tie for the lead on the final hole Saturday. Now the 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie is ready for another run at his first victory.

Wise shot a 3-under 68 to pull even with Marc Leishman, four shots ahead of Matt Jones and Kevin Na going into the final round.

It’s not the first time Wise has been in this position, though. Two weeks ago, he finished tied for second at the Wells Fargo Championship, two shots behind Jason Day.

Besides, Wise has won at every level – including the 2016 NCAA individual title while helping Oregon win the team championship just before turning pro. He was the first player in eight years to pull that NCAA double.

“There’s a little more pressure on it because there’s more people and it’s a bigger scene, but I felt like I did a great job of handling all that at Quail Hollow,” Wise said. “Being my second chance at it, I feel like it’s only going to be better than that.”

Leishman shot 69 after setting a 36-hole tournament record previously shared by Tiger Woods. The 34-year-old Australian had a career-best 61 in the opening round.

Hometown star Jordan Spieth couldn’t make a move from eight shots back, shooting par 71 and falling 10 strokes behind.

Wind gusted above 25 mph at times after two rounds of calmer conditions and lower scores on the treeless, links-style layout a few miles south of downtown Dallas. The Nelson spent the previous 35 years at a more conventional venue in suburban Irving.

One illustration of the struggle came late with the strong crosswind at the par-4 18th, where five of the top six on the leaderboard had bogey or worse.

Na (69) and Jones (68) had to settle for 13 under. Jimmy Walker shot 70 with a double bogey on the final hole that dropped him to 12 under, with Brian Gay, who bogeyed 18 for a 72.

Nick Taylor (69) is the top Canadian at 7 under. Corey Conners (73) is 2 under.

Wise played in more wind than Leishman and most of the other leaders Friday when it kicked up in the afternoon, and still said Saturday’s conditions were significantly different. And he still said it was fun.

“I love playing really firm golf courses because it brings a lot of thinking in,” Wise said. “I didn’t have quite as many drivers as I had the last couple of days because it was firmer.”

With one notable exception: his 402-yard drive on the downwind par-4 ninth. All Wise had left was a flip wedge on the 504-yard hole, and he made the 11-foot putt.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to make decisions like that and kind of use my advantage, which is my driving when I can,” he said. “But you still got to play safe. This course has enough teeth where you can’t just bomb driver everywhere.”

Spieth was hoping for the teeth on one of his home courses, but couldn’t take advantage of his experience with it. The Dallas native even admitted he’s still struggling to figure out the greens.

The 24-year-old had three birdies and three bogeys and is in danger of going another year without surpassing his best Nelson finish – a tie for 16th when he was a 16-year-old high school junior in 2010.

“I finish 16th tomorrow and people are going to say, ‘What’s wrong?”’ said Spieth, a three-time major winner. “It’s funny how expectations change. But certainly my own do as well.”

Wise said the difference with strong wind on the course co-designed by Ben Crenshaw showed up quickly when his tee shot on the par-3 second hole ended up 30 yards right of his target.

For Leishman, it was the long ninth hole when he hit a 3-wood to try to land short of a fairway bunker 340 yards away but “went straight in it.”

“That’s a bit of getting used to,” the three-time tour winner said. “Normally I can’t hit my driver anywhere close to that.”

After 41 scores of 66 or better in the first two rounds, there were just two Saturday. Charles Howell III shot a 65 for the lowest and only bogey-free round of the day.

“It’s a lot different,” Jones said. “This is what the course is built for.”

Leishman, who still has a chance to be a wire-to-wire Nelson winner two years after Sergio Garcia did it, retook the lead with birdies at Nos. 14 and 15. Wise answered at 16 and 17 before his three-putt at 18.

“He’s a solid player for I heard this morning he’s only 21. I didn’t realize that,” Leishman said. “I guess I was in high school before he was born. You hear guys talk about that all the time, but I’ve never said that, I think.”

The Aussie will be dueling Sunday with the youngster, born in South Africa but raised in the United States.

“It’s easy for me to get ahead of myself,” Wise said. “I’m getting some great experience for a kid this young. It’s only going to serve me well down the road.”

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson was able to beat the rain at the LPGA Tour’s Kingsmill Championship, entering the clubhouse with a 6-under 65 before the heavy rainfall began at the Resort River’s Course on Friday. Play has been postponed indefinitely, forcing the tournament to be reduced to 54 holes.

Sixty players failed to finish the second round. They will do that beginning at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. After that, the field will be cut and tee off on the first and 10th holes at 10:30 a.m.

In Gee Chun leads among players who have finished two rounds. She is at 11 under, with Austin Ernst and Nasa Hataoka one shot back.

In Gee Chun shot a 5-under 66 on Friday to take the lead in the suspended second round of the LPGA Tour’s Kingsmill Championship.

Three-quarters of an inch of rain fell overnight on Kingsmill Resort’s River Course, delaying the start of play an hour. Storms developed again in the afternoon and play was suspended for more than hour, then finally called for day at 7:25 p.m.

Chun played in the morning. The South Korean star had six birdies and a bogey to get to 11-under 131.

“I felt good,” Chun said. “I could see the putting lines very well today.”

Chun’s two victories came in major championships in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and 2016 The Evian Championship.

“I really like this course,” Chun said. “I always happy to play here and see all the good people from here. Everything was very comfy. Everything is very comfy.”

Austin Ernst (65) and Nasa Hataoka (66) were a stroke back after bogey-free rounds.

“Just really solid,” Ernst said. “Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, and then my speed was really good, so I never really had to work too hard all day.”

Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and Angel Yin (66) were 9 under, and Megan Khang (67) was in at 8 under. Jessica Korda also was 8 under with four holes to play.

“Every year here is just like all weather pretty bad,” Jutanugarn said. “Just keep changing.”

Canada’s Brooke Henderson had a 65 to get to 7 under.

“It was a great day,” Henderson said. “I’m happy to move up the leaderboard as much as I did today.”

Defending champion Lexi Thompson (69) and three-time winner Cristie Kerr (68) were 3 under.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., is T20 at 5 under par. Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., sits tied for 30th at 3 under par.

MESA, ARIZ – Grace St-Germain, member of the Canada’s National Development Squad, finished at 8 under on Thursday at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women’s Golf Championship in Mesa, Ariz.

The Ottawa Ont., native tied her teammate, Jiwon Jeon, recording scores of 71-70-72-67 while Jeon turned in a 74-69-69-68 performance.

The Camelot Golf & Country Club member was one stroke back of Jeon as they went into the final day at Longbow Golf Club. St-Germain capped memorable final round with four birdies and an eagle on the par-4 17th.

St-Germain and Jeon went into a three-hole playoff, both making a birdie on the first and second holes. Jeon continued with a birdie om the third hole and St-Germain could not match, finishing in second place, one place higher than last year’s championship.

This fall, St-Germain will be heading to the University of Arkansas which is one of the top NCAA Division 1 teams in the U.S. (currently ranked at No. 2)

The success of both Grace and Jeon helped the Daytona State Falcons to a repeat of the National Championship, beating out 2nd place Seminole State.

 Click here for full scores.

DALLAS – Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., are the top Canadians at 2 under after the first round at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, TX. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., (70) is right behind the duo while David Hearn Brantford, Ont., (71) is even.

Marc Leishman enjoyed the old home of the AT&T Byron Nelson as much as anyone, considering he made the last nine trips there and had one of the best scoring averages in tournament history.

The Australian might take a liking to the new place as well.

Leishman shot a 10-under 61 on the links-style Trinity Forest course to take the first-round lead Thursday and was eight shots clear of hometown star Jordan Spieth in the event that returned to Dallas after 35 years at the TPC Four Seasons in suburban Irving.

Considering the criticisms of Trinity Forest from others – mentioned vaguely by players who did show up – Leishman wouldn’t have needed much to join that chorus after a history of high finishes in Irving despite a couple of recent missed cuts.

Instead, Leishman opened with an eagle, started the back nine with three straight birdies and reached 9 under with another eagle at the 14th.

The 34-year-old, a three-time PGA Tour winner, had chances to go lower but settled for a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th for the lowest round of his PGA Tour career. He was a stroke shy of the Nelson record.

“Probably would have been the harshest critic, I think,” Leishman said with a smile. “I played very well over there. When I got here and saw instantly, you know, was happy that we’re here and it’s just a cool spot.”

J.J. Spaun and Texan Jimmy Walker were three shots back at 64. Spaun had six birdies in a span of seven holes for a 30 on his second nine – the front nine on the undulating layout with no trees or water hazards a few miles south of downtown Dallas.

Walker had a chance to get to 8 under when his shot from the edge of a fairway bunker on 18 rolled within a foot of the cup before settling 14 feet away. He missed the birdie putt.

Sam Saunders, Aaron Wise and Keith Mitchell shot matching 65s playing in the first group off the first tee. They were part of an eight-way tie four shots behind Leishman. Defending champion Billy Horschel shot 68.

Spieth, one of just two world top-10 players in the Nelson field at No. 3, didn’t have many chances and missed on some of the few that he did, starting with a short birdie putt for a disappointing par 5 on the opening hole.

It was another frustrating round for the 24-year-old Spieth, a Trinity Forest member who was hoping the venue change would help him top his best Nelson finish. That was a tie for 16th when he was a 16-year-old amateur playing for a private high school in Dallas.

Spieth had just three birdies when the course was at its easiest because of calm winds. His bogey on the short par-4 fifth came after he drove the green and then sent an 82-foot putt off it.

“Looking back the last year and a half I’ve had maybe four, five opportunities where I’ve actually been in a tournament after the first round which is really frustrating,” Spieth said. “Thursdays for whatever reason just haven’t been good days for me.”

Saunders, Wise and Mitchell each opened with a birdie as the first to tee off on the par-5 first. Saunders had the most birdies of the trio with eight, Wise had seven and Mitchell had a bogey-free round.

The grandson of the late Arnold Palmer, Saunders played Trinity Forest before the Nelson last year and made up his mind then he would return for the debut.

“I think it’s a very fair test of golf,” said Saunders, who missed the cut at the last two Nelsons in Irving. “There was a lot of thought put into all the slopes out there. You’ve got to think your way through it a little bit more than some of the courses we play.”

Horschel said he didn’t do enough thinking after losing the momentum of an eagle at the par-5 14th on his front nine with bogeys at 16 and 18, both par 4s. And yes, he said they still count as mental mistakes even though he and most of the field don’t know the course very well.

“It’s stupid idiot errors,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s knowing what I shouldn’t do and it’s just me trying to get greedy. I know better than that on certain shots.”

With a forecast of stronger winds and temperatures in the mid-90s on Friday, Trinity Forest figures to play a little tougher after 103 players broke par in its debut. Spieth will be surprised by a repeat of Leishman’s number.

“Looking at the forecast, I don’t think that will happen again,” Spieth said. “I’m excited there’s wind. I wish it was windy every day. I really struggled when there’s been no wind compared to the field this year and today was no different.”

And all too familiar for Spieth in front of the home folks.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City, QC., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, QC., and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville Ont., all sit T29 at 2 under par on a crowded leaderboard after Thursday’s first round of the Kingsmill Championship.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson sits T48 after shooting a 1-under 70 while Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. (73) is 2 over.

Annie Park turned a blistering stretch on the back nine into a mistake-free 6-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead with Jessica Korda, Azahara Munoz, In Gee Chun and Jaye Marie Green. Park, Korda and Munoz played morning rounds in mild conditions, while Chun and Green played in rain that is expected to also be a factor Friday and Saturday on the resort’s already-soggy River Course.

Park, playing in just her third tour event of the season and seeking her first career victory, was 2 under when she hit the flag and birdied the par 4 14th hole. She then nearly holed her second shot on the par-5 15th after hitting “an OK 3-wood” that left her with a short eagle putt, and also birdied the par-4 16th.

“Overall, I had a great day,” she said. “I hit some good shots. Lucky enough, I had some short birdie putts, short eagle putt, and that helps.”

Munoz had seven birdies and one bogey, and Korda and Chun were bogey-free. Green had seven birdies and bogeyed No. 18.

Munoz earned her only tour win in 2012, and settled in after starting with a bogey.

“I hit so many good shots,” she said. “Gave myself a lot of opportunities. Made some really nice putts.”

She also chipped in for her final birdie after missing the green to the left on the par-4 eighth hole.

“I made a really nice chip. It was a bit too firm, but it was really nice,” she said.

Korda, the winner of the Honda LPGA Thailand in February in her return from reconstructive jaw surgery, is making just her seventh start of the season and has finished in the top 10 in four of them. She had three birdies on each nine, including the par-4 18th.

Korda is one of 11 winners on tour this season, and no one has won more than once. The past few weeks, she’s been fine-tuning her game to be ready for the Women’s U.S. Open at the end of the month in Alabama.

“My transition hasn’t been great. A lot of people have asked me why I was hitting it so short in (San Francisco), and I was just trying to hit it into the fairway because I just wasn’t feeling great over the ball,” she said. “So just trying to tighten up some things before the U.S. Open comes around. Hopefully just keeps going the way that it is.”

Chun is making just her seventh start of the season, and Green has missed four of eight cuts.

Nasa Hataoka and 2016 winner Ariya Jutanugarn were one back. Hataoka’s bogey-free round included an ace at the par-3 17th. It was her first as a professional. There were nine more at 67, including 2015 champion Minjee Lee.

Cristie Kerr, whose three victories make her the only multiple winner at Kingsmill, opened with a 71, and defending champion Lexi Thompson, who set a tournament record last year at 20-under 264, was in a tie for 49th with Michelle Wie and numerous others after a 70.

After fifteen years, Canadian Hall of Famer, Mike Weir, will be making his second-career Web.com Tour start in the BMW Charity Pro-Am this week at the Thornblade Club in Greer, S.C.

The native of Brights Grove, Ont., will be playing in a reserved category for current or former PGA TOUR members ages 48-49, which he has just recently qualified for after he turned 48 on May 12. Weir will play the rest of the year on the Web.com tour with hopes to upgrade to the PGA TOUR.

The eight-time PGA TOUR winner has struggled with his form after he hit a tree root during the Heritage tournament in 2011. Several surgeries and injuries have left Weir with inconsistencies in his game, more particularly with his driver.

Weir has spent the past years working on his game. He has been working on his swing at Taylor Made Canada headquarters’ high-tech performance centre in Vaughan, Ont., showing signs of improvement with strong play overseas.

The Web.com Tour circuit will mark the first time in three years that Weir will be able to play regularly without any long breaks with consistency in his schedule. The BMW Charity Pro-Am will mark the beginning of Weir’s race for a spot in The 25, as he hopes for a PGA TOUR return.

Click here for scoring.

GREENWOOD, S.C. – Brittany Marchand carded a 5-under-par 67 to finish T7 at The Links at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic on Sunday at Stoney Point.

Marchand, an Orangeville, Ont. native, played an impressive bogey-free round to jump four spots up the leaderboard in Greenwood. The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member currently sits at No. 10 on the Volvik Race to the Card money list.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Starting with the largest Sunday lead ever at The Players Championship was harder than Webb Simpson imagined. Hearing one big roar after another from Tiger Woods playing four groups ahead of him didn’t help. Through it all, Simpson managed his game and his nerves.

Only when he had the crystal trophy did he start to crack.

He looked out at his wife, Dowd, a big supporter during the past few years of frustration as Simpson coped with the ban on the anchored putting stroke he used to make two Ryder Cup teams and win the U.S. Open.

And he thought about his mother at home in North Carolina, her first Mother’s Day since Simpson’s father died in November.

“It’s been a tough few months for my mom, my brothers and sisters,” Simpson said as his voice began to crack. “This is a little beacon of light for my mom, to get this done on Mother’s Day.”

There was never any doubt.

Simpson navigated his way through a few mistakes, but not too much stress in his four-shot victory Sunday at the TPC Sawgrass. Staked to a seven-shot lead, no one got closer than four shots, even after Simpson made double bogey on the 18th hole when his only remaining task was to finish the hole. He closed with a 1-over 73 to end more than four years without winning.

Woods made another big run that revved up the crowd and revived hopes that he was close to winning. So did Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker and Danny Lee. None could do enough to catch Simpson during a week of low scoring at the final Players Championship in May. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., finished tied for 57th.

“It was harder than I thought,” Simpson said. “There’s so much noise in front of us with Tiger, and you wonder what everybody is doing.”

The key moment for Simpson was hitting just short of the green on the par-5 11th to set up a two-putt birdie, and then finding the island green on the 17th when he had a six-shot lead.

“Once I got to 17 and the ball was on the green,” he said, “internally I was celebrating.”

Justin Thomas left the TPC Sawgrass as the No. 1 player in the world. He closed with a 66 to tie for 11th, more than enough to end Dustin Johnson’s 15-month reign at the top of the ranking. Thomas is the 21st player to reach No. 1 since the ranking began in 1986, and the seventh American.

“I’m very proud to have gotten there, but it means more to me how long I can hold it,” Thomas said in a text message.

Jimmy Walker closed with a bogey-free 67 and tied for second with Charl Schwartzel and Xander Schauffele, who also shot 67s. Walker, who struggled all of last year with Lyme disease, had his best finish since he won the 2016 PGA Championship.

Woods made the cut on the number – helped by Thomas and Jordan Spieth making bogey on the 18th hole Friday – got back to the first page of the leaderboard with a 65 on Saturday and ran off six birdies through 12 holes in the final round. He was tied for second at one point, still four shots behind, but that was as close he got. Woods made a soft bogey on the 14th hole when he missed the green with a sand wedge, and was well short of the island green in making double bogey on No. 17.

He shot 69 and tied for 11th.

“I hit the ball better today than I did yesterday, and I obviously didn’t end up with the score I needed to,” Woods said.

The final edition of May was one for the record books. Simpson tied the course record with a 63 in the second round when he seized control – even with a double bogey from the water on the 17th – and he tied Greg Norman’s 54-hole record from 1994 at 19-under 197. Simpson set a record for the largest margin through three rounds. Brooks Koepka became the eighth player with a 63 on Sunday, making an albatross 2 on the par-5 16th.

And there 1,754 birdies for the week, breaking by 136 the record from 1996.

But this ultimately was all about Simpson, who had missed the cut in four of his previous eight appearances at the TPC Sawgrass and had gone 107 starts on the PGA Tour since his most recent victory in Las Vegas toward the end of 2013.

He had struggled with the ban on the anchored stroke he used for his belly putter. He finally settled on a longer handle that ran up the left side of his arm, and then Tim Clark gave him the missing link. It was at The Players a year ago when Clark suggested he also use a claw grip, and Simpson had been working his way back to golf he expects to play.

“It’s pretty special that a year later, I got this victory,” he said.

Simpson won for the fifth time and moves to No. 20 in the world. He won $1.98 million, the second-largest tournament payoff behind only the U.S. Open.

The rest of the tournament would have been plenty exciting had Simpson decided to call in sick for work this week. At one point, Dufner made a birdie to break out of a 10-way tie for third place.

“I feel like all of us were just trying to make as many birdies as possible while he was trying to run away from everyone else,” Schauffele said. “So it was an interesting week.”

Canadians Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes both finished T57 with 4-under.