PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Gary Woodland birdied three of the final four holes Friday for a 6-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Woodland played the first 36 holes without a bogey, following an opening 64 to get to 13-under 129 on Mayakoba’s Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course. He won the last of his two tour titles in 2013.

“I haven’t been here since my rookie year, so it’s been since 2009,” Woodland said. “The golf course is in great shape. It sets up good for me. I can hit a lot of irons off the tees, lay back a little bit. The whole deal is to keep the ball in the fairway and then attack from there.” d.“

Married last month, Woodland took last week off and worked with instructor Butch Harmon after opening the new season in Malaysia and China.

“It was nice to have an off week last week,” Woodland said. “Went out and spent some time with Butch. After the wedding, kind of got a little rusty. Took some time off, but nice to get back in the swing of things. Very comfortable with where I’m at right now.”

Webb Simpson was second after his second straight 65.

“Today was a lot different from yesterday,” Simpson said. “Today was a bit of a struggle with some distance control. I had to chip a lot more today, so today was about scoring. I was able to score, made some putts when I needed to for par. Yesterday, I don’t remember missing any greens and today I missed quite a few, so very different day, but same score.”

Scott Piercy had a 6 to reach 11 under. He tied for third in the season opener at Silverado.

“Just kind of plodding along and trying to pick up birdies where I can and kind of keep the scorecard pretty clean,” Piercy said. “Felt pretty good. Just trying to pick up some marbles on the way and count them at the end of the week and see where we fall.”

First-round leader Chris Kirk followed his opening 63 with a 70 to drop into a tie for fourth at 9 under with local favourite Abraham Ancer (68), Russell Knox (65), Charles Howell III (64), Ben Martin (64), John Huh (66) and Adam Hadwin (66).

Marc Leishman eagled the par-5 seventh and followed with a hole-in-one on the 134-yard, hitting a sand wedge for 134 yards. The Australian was 7 under after a 65.

“One-hopped past it and spun back into the hole,” Leishman said. “Same thing on 8. High sand wedge and landed about a yard past it and zipped back into the hole. It was first hole in one I’ve had on tour. I’ve had quite a few others just in practice rounds and that, but that’s always nice to see it drop in.”

Defending champion Graeme McDowell rallied to make the cut by a stroke, following an opening 75 with a 65 to get to 2 under.

Jim Furyk missed the cut, shooting 74-70 in his first event of the new season.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Chris Kirk shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Kirk had four birdies on each nine in his bogey-free round on Mayakoba’s Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course.

“I don’t think anybody’s comfort’s really that high,” Kirk said. “I definitely drove the ball well today. Just trying to stick to my sort of go to shot and hit draws out there for the most part. It’s definitely intimidating off the tee a little bit, but thankfully I hit a lot of good ones today.”

The former University of Georgia player has two top-10 finishes in three starts in the new PGA Tour season, opening with a tie for eighth at Silverado and tying for second in Mississippi. He tied for 61st last week in Las Vegas, closing with rounds of 75 and 74.

“I just played pretty terrible over the weekend in Vegas, but I think I was just a little bit tired,” Kirk said. “So thankfully, I came and took Monday and Tuesday completely off and didn’t touch a club and just tried to relax, and now I feel kind of re-energized and ready to play again. No, I definitely wasn’t expecting to shoot 63 today, but happy I did.”

He won the last of his four PGA Tour titles in 2015.

Ben Crane, Camilo Villegas and Gary Woodland were tied for second at 64.

“This is a very tight golf course,” Crane said. “After maybe 10 to 15 yards of rough on each side, it’s just jungle, right? When you get some crosswinds, you’ve got to hit solid tee shots and you’ve got to really control your ball. You really want to be able to flight your ball because you really don’t want to be curving it down on that crosswind downwind, right, because it’s going to curve so much.”

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer bogeyed the final hole for a 65.

“It’s huge. It’s awesome playing in Mexico in front of my people,” said Ancer, a former University of Oklahoma player. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I obviously want to play well, but it would be awesome to finish up there at the end of the tournament.”

NCAA champion Aaron Wise also was 65 along with Webb Simpson, Scott Piercy, Kevin Streelman and Nicholas Lindheim.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 67 while Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., both shot 68. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 71.

Jim Furyk had a double bogey in a 74 in his first round of the season.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell opened with a 75.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico – Canadian Graham DeLaet has withdrawn from this week’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba, giving first alternate Jonathan Randolph a chance to take on El Camaleón Golf Club.

DeLaet was set to make his first appearance at the OHL Classic since a missed cut in his 2010 debut, but back issues will keep him away.

Told Graham DeLaet has WD’d from Mexico due to tweaking his back in Vegas Saturday. Went to MEX, thought he could play, needs more time.

— Adam Stanley (@adam_stanley) November 9, 2016

In his place, Jonathan Randolph will be making his second appearance at this event. He missed the cut in his 2015 debut.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tim Finchem officially retires at the end of the year as PGA Tour commissioner, ending more than two decades during which he expanded the tour’s footprint around the world and saw prize money grow to nearly $300 million.

The PGA Tour’s board of directors accepted Finchem’s resignation Monday and unanimously approved Jay Monahan as his replacement.

Monahan, who has served as Finchem’s deputy commissioner since April 2014, becomes the fourth commissioner on Jan. 1.

“I have the highest regard for Jay and have total confidence in his ability to lead the PGA Tour well into the future,” Finchem said. “He has been a key member of the executive team since joining the tour and has worked closely with me on all business matters since becoming deputy commissioner. Jay is well respected throughout the PGA Tour family and the golf industry. I know he will do a tremendous job for the players and all constituents of the PGA Tour.”

Neither development was a surprise. Monday was the final quarterly meeting of the board this year, and Finchem had indicated he would not seek another extension.

Monahan, 46, was executive vice-president at Fenway Sports Group when he joined the PGA Tour in 2008, first as executive director of The Players Championship, and quickly moving his way through other business functions, including the key role of chief marketing officer. He was appointed chief operating officer earlier this year.

“I’ve worked with him closely now for a good period of time, and he’s absolutely the right guy,” Finchem said at the Tour Championship in September. “He doesn’t have a negative moment in his day. He is a total glass-is-half-full individual, and I think you’ll see that as we go forward.”

Finchem also was a deputy commissioner under Deane Beman when he was appointed in 1994, and he leaves behind a legacy of growth and new programs.

Total prize money in 1994 was $52.4 million for 40 official tournaments. As the 69-year-old Finchem retires, he leaves a fully sponsored schedule of 43 tournaments with prize money this season at just under $300 million. That doesn’t include the four majors.

Finchem used the arrival of Tiger Woods to negotiate massive television deals that drove prize money, and his finest work might have been the last one.

He steered the tour through a severe economic downturn in 2009, keeping it fully sponsored with prize money slightly increasing. And with Woods on the sidelines coping with injuries and a scandal in his personal life, the tour negotiated a nine-year television contract through 2021.

“Under Tim’s leadership, the PGA Tour has made remarkable progress, even in the most difficult economic times,” Monahan said. “We are now entering a very important time in our organization’s history, and I know our executive team and I will draw upon and be inspired by the invaluable experience of working with Tim as we take advantage of the extraordinary opportunities, as well as face the challenges, that are ahead for the tour.”

The first big challenge is likely to be the next television contract. Finchem and Monahan already have been meeting this summer with media executive to prepare for the next negotiations and figure out where advancements in media fit into the future.

Finchem also used the arrival of Woods to launch The First Tee, an education program geared around golf.

The Presidents Cup began in his first year as commissioner, and he was behind the World Golf Championships that began in 1999 and have been played in America, Spain, Ireland, England, Australia and China. Another one is schedule for Mexico City next March.

Finchem also tried to provide structure to the sprawling golf season with the FedEx Cup, which pays $35 million in bonus money to the players and $10 million to the winner. He also emphasized the Web.com Tour as the pathway to the PGA Tour. That also led the tour to create satellite circuits in China, Canada and Latin America.

Monahan comes from a rich New England golf heritage, playing at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He previously worked at EMC Corp. in branding and global sponsorships, then spent three years at IMG where he ran the Deutsche Bank Championship until leaving for Fenway Sports Management, and then the tour.

“Jay has proven himself to be an outstanding leader who has developed an intimate knowledge and understanding of the PGA Tour and a clear vision for the future of the organization,” board chairman Victor Ganzi said.

LAS VEGAS – The birdie putt was still a foot away from the hole when Rod Pampling raised his right arm and thrust it in the air as the ball tumbled into the cup.

His victory Sunday in Las Vegas was a long time coming.

Pampling left nothing to chance by holing a 30-foot putt on the final hole at the TPC Summerlin to close with a 6-under 65 for a two-shot victory in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, his first PGA Tour title in 10 years.

“Sometimes you amaze yourself at what you can do under the gun, which hadn’t been for a long time,” Pampling said. “And it was great.”

The 47-year-old Australian last won on the PGA Tour at Bay Hill in 2006. He lost his card and spent two full seasons on the Web.com Tour, and then had to return to the Web.com Tour Finals at the end of last season just to get his card back.

He was No. 451 in the world ranking.

And now Pampling is headed to Kapalua for the Tournament of Champions in January, and he’ll be returning to the Masters for the first time in 10 years.

“It’s extremely rewarding,” Pampling said. “Winning Arnold Palmer’s event is still on top. But coming back from what we’ve had the last few years, to get a win under the belt, it’s phenomenal. Amazing.”

Brooks Koepka closed with a 67 to finish second.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was the top Canadian. He shot a 1-over 72 in the final round to place 27th at 11 under. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor both finished 6 under while Hamilton’s Mackenzie Hughes came in at 2 under.

Lucas Glover, going for his first victory in five years, was tied with Pampling with two holes to play until he made a bogey from the bunker on the par-3 17th, and he closed with another bogey when winning was out of reach. He shot a 69 to finish third.

Francesco Molinari of Italy had a career-best 61 and tied for fourth with Geoff Ogilvy (68) and Harris English (67).

For someone who had gone so long since he last won, Pampling kept his poise even when it looked as though the final round was getting away from him. He began the back nine with two bogeys in three holes – a three-putt on No. 10, missing the green with a pitching wedge on No. 12 – and fell one shot behind Glover.

Pampling bounced back with a 12-foot birdie putt, and an 8-iron to 18 feet for birdie on the 14th to catch Glover. Pampling made a 12-foot birdie on the next hole to keep pace, and his biggest shot might have been for par.

Tied for the lead on the par-5 16th, he pushed his drive well right into rough so deep that Pampling asked to identify his ball, and it was a good thing – it wasn’t his ball. His ball was a foot to the right, buried so badly that he could only muscle it some 30 yards behind another tree, and he had to lay up short of the water. From 121 yards, Pampling hit wedge into 6 feet and saved par to stay tied.

“That was the turning point for Rod, and that was awesome,” Glover said. “He played great.”

Glover’s tee shot on the 17th was about a foot away from being good, but it caught the lip of the bunker and left a difficult shot with the green sloping away from him. He missed a 12-foot par putt and never caught up.

Pampling finished at 20-under 264 and will be exempt up until his 50th birthday when he is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions.

“After this week I still think I have a couple of more wins, so I’m looking forward to the next few years and just see what we can do.” Pampling said.

The victory was the third of his PGA Tour career for Pampling, who also won the now-defunct International in 2004. It puts him in the Masters for the first time since 2007, along with the PGA Championship for the first time since 2009.

He became the fifth Australian to win on the PGA Tour this year, joining Jason Day, Adam Scott, Greg Chalmers and Aaron Baddeley.

Ogilvy had his best finish since he tied for second in the Deutsche Bank Championship two years ago. Keegan Bradley closed with a 66 and tied for seventh. Bradley tied for sixth two weeks ago in Malaysia, giving him consecutive top 10s for the first time since March 2013.

Aaron Wise, the NCAA champion from Oregon, tied for 10th and earned a spot in the field next week in Mexico.

LAS VEGAS – One long putt got Lucas Glover going Saturday and put him in position for his first PGA Tour victory in five years.

Glover was even par for his round when he holed a 45-foot birdie putt on No. 8, followed with a 9-foot eagle putt on the next hole and made a pair of birdies and a key par putt in the closing holes for a 6-under 65 in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Glover had a one-shot lead over Brooks Koepka (70) and Rod Pampling (71).

“That eighth hole was kind of the catapult,” Glover said. “I made that long one, and two great shots into 9 and turned in 3 under and kept it going.”

Playing in the final group, Koepka and Pampling were slowed by mistakes and wound up letting a dozen or so players back into the mix. Twenty players were separated by four shots going into the final round at the TPC Summerlin.

“We’ve got a shootout ahead of us tomorrow,” said Glover, who was at 15-under 198. “I like where I stand, but you’re going to have to play good tomorrow.”

Glover pulled ahead when he got up-and-down on the short par-4 15th, two-putted from birdie from about 50 feet on the 16th hole and then made a 5-foot par putt on the par-3 17th. The short putts are what has hurt Glover the most during the five years since the former U.S. Open champion last won at Quail Hollow.

He recently switched to a claw grip to get his shoulders more involved.

“I’ve really been working hard, and it’s starting to pay off,” Glover said. “Eighteen holes tomorrow, and see how many we can make because I’m going to have make some.”

Russell Henley made eight birdies – only one of them from under 10 feet – for a 63, and Geoff Ogilvy ran off four straight birdies late in his round for a 65. They were two shots behind. The group at 12-under 201 included Las Vegas resident Scott Piercy, Harris English and Pat Perez, who missed eight months this year with shoulder surgery. Another Las Vegas resident, Ryan Moore, was in the large group at 11 under.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was three shots back after shooting a 67. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was tied for 28th place, Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, was tied for 57th and Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes was tied for 71st.

Koepka had three bogeys on his opening six holes to fall behind, and he caught up by using his power to make birdie on the par 5s on the back nine and with a 3-wood that he hit to 20 feet for a two-putt birdie on the 15th. He was tied for the lead until pulling his tee shot into the water on the 17th and making bogey, and then he ended his wild round with a sand wedge that spun back to tap-in range on the 18th.

“For as bad as we played today, I was kind of happy to be one off the lead,” Koepka said. “Just kind of struggled with everything. I feel like speed was a bit off, putting never really got comfortable. … Not my best performance, but I guess one off the lead isn’t too bad for how bad we played.”

The final group of Pampling, Koepka and Chris Kirk (75) combined to shoot 3-over par.

“We struggled out there, and at least it was good see Brooks make some birdies at the end,” Pampling said. “They were out there. It was just a few breaks here and there weren’t quite what I had been getting. Hopefully, it’ll turn around tomorrow and we’ll actually post a proper number again.”

Pampling and Glover both had to go back to the Web.com Tour Finals two seasons ago to regain their full tour cards. While it has been since 2011 that Glover last won, Pampling hasn’t won since the 2008 Australian Masters, and his last PGA Tour victory was 10 years ago at Bay Hill.

“I’m not going to lie, there was a little bit of tension early on,” Pampling said. “They guys who are a long way back go low because they’re not protecting a little bit. Obviously, I don’t think we can protect tomorrow, but I feel good. Just go out there and let it go and just hope juices are good. It’s nice to have them.”

LAS VEGAS – Rod Pampling followed an opening 11-under 60 with a 68 on Friday to keep the lead in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

The 47-year-old Australian rebounded from two early bogeys to get to 14-under 128 at TPC Summerlin. He won the last of his two PGA Tour titles in 2006 at Bay Hill.

“The hole looked really big yesterday,” Pampling said. “I started out today and I didn’t think they’d cut them (the greens) early on. I changed ball markers, and I knew I was playing good, so I just kind of threw out a new vibe, and it started to work. I knew it wasn’t bad, it’s just like it happened, so just let it go. Corrected myself and played nice after that.

Brooks Koepka had two eagles in a 67 to pull within a stroke. He won the Phoenix Open last year for his first tour title and was 3-1 in the United States’ Ryder Cup victory over Europe.

“The ball seems to be finding the hole once we get it on the green, so just get it on the green as quickly as possible,” Koepka said.

Aaron Wise, the NCAA champion last season for Oregon, was two shot back at 12 under with four holes left when play was suspended because of darkness. He eagled the par-5 13th and 16th on his front nine.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was six back after shooting a 64. Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, was tied for 26th place while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., tied for 66th.

Pampling bogeyed two of his first five holes, failing to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the par-4 11th and from the rough over the green on the par-3 14th. He rebounded with birdies on four of the next seven holes, birdied the par-4 seventh, three-putted the par-3 eighth for bogey and two-putted for a closing birdie on the par-5 ninth.

“You’ve just got to trust yourself that you’re playing well,” Pampling said. “I knew I had been, not just yesterday, the form had been good before that. I was confident in myself. I didn’t panic. You can easily panic out there, and you shoot 2, 3 over, and at the end of the day you’re just scratching your head. I just relaxed. I knew it was good, so I let it come to me, and it thankfully did.”

Koepka eagled the par-5 ninth and 16th, and had five birdies and five bogeys – the last a three-putt from the fringe on the par-4 18th to drop out of the lead.

“It was kind of sloppy at points, but I felt like I played pretty well,” Koepka said. “The putter was hot, but just got to clean a few things up.”

Chez Reavie had the round of the day to make the cut, shooting a 61 after opening with a 76. He had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch that ended on the par-4 10th, added birdies on 13 and 15 and chipped in from 60 feet for eagle on 16.

“The biggest challenge for me was just to mentally be in a position to even have a chance of playing well today,” Reavie said. “Fortunately, I was. I was positive and just said I was going to go try and shoot as low as I can and see what happens.”

Chris Kirk was 11 under after a 66.

“Kind of felt better and better as the day went on and was able to roll a few in there on the back nine,” Kirk said.

Keegan Bradley had a 65 to join James Hahn (66) and Pat Perez (66) at 10 under.

“My game feels really good,” Bradley said. “I’ve been playing good for a while now. It’s nice to see some results.”

Defending champion Smylie Kaufman was 4 under after a 67. Fifty-two-year-old Davis Love III also was 4 under after a 70.

Oakville’s Town Council voted unanimously this week to extend an Interim Control By-law (ICB) that restricts the use of the Glen Abbey Golf Club to its existing uses for an additional year. The ICB was originally passed February 1, 2016 and with a one-year extension, will now remain in effect up to and including January 31, 2018.

In the meeting, Mark H. Simeoni, with the town’s planning services department, updated Council on the status of key planning studies underway and explained the town’s reasons for recommending an extension to the ICB.

A first draft of the study is expected in the spring of 2017 with public consultation, revisions if any, and implementation to follow as required. A draft of a cultural heritage assessment is also expected to be completed in the spring of 2017.

Section 38 of Ontario’s Planning Act permits a municipality to pass an ICB for up to a year (with the right to extend the by-law for a further year) in order to complete a review or study of land use policies in the municipality.

ClubLink, the owners of Glen Abbey, has appealed the town’s ICB to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). A appeal hearing is scheduled to begin January 30, 2017 at Oakville’s Town Hall.

Canada’s only PGA TOUR event, the RBC Canadian Open, will take place July 18-24, 2017 at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

LAS VEGAS – Rod Pampling shot an 11-under 60 on Thursday in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, missing a chance for a 59 when he parred the final two holes.

The 47-year-old Australian had two eagles and seven birdies in his morning round to match the TPC Summerlin record. He left a 22-footer short on the par-3 17th, and missed from missed from 12 feet on the par-4 18th.

“The putt on 17 just fell short in the jaws and on 18 I gave myself a bad read,” Pampling said. “I thought it was straight, but it just had that little left to right.

“I studied the hole a lot, and I looked at the book – all these new books have the slopes and everything in it. I was looking at it and making sure I was spot on. My eyes were telling me it was pretty straight. I hit it straight. It was on line when it started. It just had a little tail on it. I’m glad I gave it a chance. It didn’t come up short. I just picked a bad line.”

Brooks Koepka and John Huh shot 62, and Billy Horschel opened with a 64. Luke List and Matt Jones shot 65, and Jon Rahm also was 6 under with two holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 68, Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot a 69 and Adam Hadwin, also of Abbotsford, shot a 70. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 2 under through 15 holes and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 1 under through 16.

Pampling hit a 3-iron for a tap-in eagle on the par-5 16th.

“Just one of those as soon as I hit it, I knew it was good,” Pampling said. “Didn’t know it was that good where I could just tap it in, but I knew it was good.”

Pampling had the lowest score in his PGA Tour career that features two victories. He had a 10-under 61 late last year in the final round of the Australian Open. Chip Beck set the tournament record of 59 in 1991 at Sunrise.

Pampling chipped in from 70 feet for birdie on the par-4 third, holed a 9-footer on the par-4 fourth and holed out with a 9-iron from 134 yards for eagle on the par-4 sixth. He hit a 95-yard shot to 2 feet on the par-4 seventh, and two-putted for birdie on the par-5 ninth.

“The front nine came around quickly, chipping in and then holing out,” Pampling said.

He hit a 127-yard shot to 2 1/2 feet on the par-4 11th, chipped to set up a birdie on the par-5 13th, made a 10-footer on the par-4 15th, and eagled the 16th.

“I’ve been hitting it quite well for at least two or three months,” Pampling said. “I just haven’t been driving it super. And I had my coach come yesterday and we just fixed up a little bit of that. So that was good. And the irons were great. We hit a lot of close shots. It was just nice and solid. There was nothing that was extraordinary, but it was just very good.”

Koepka birdied his final two holes in a bogey-free round. He won the Phoenix Open last year for his first tour title and was 3-1 in the United States’ Ryder Cup victory over Europe.

“I obviously made a lot of putts today,” Koepka said. “I feel like I was striking the ball well. Speed was a lot better than it was last week. So grinded hard early on in the week making sure the putting was right, and it showed today.”

Huh also had nine birdies, five in a row on Nos. 13-17 on his first nine.

“If you put yourself in position, I think you can score low,” Huh said. “If you don’t, then you’re going to struggle. I was able to put myself in a good spots.”

Horschel is making his first start since the BMW Championship in early September.

“Been working really hard,” Horschel said. “It was nice to see the putter working.”

Ram birdied Nos. 13-16 and was facing a 20-foot birdie putt on 17 when play was stopped.

Fifty-two-year-old Davis Love III had a 68, and defending Smylie Kaufman finished off a 71 just before dark.

JACKSON, Miss. – Cody Gribble and his caddie talked a ton during the final nine holes of his impressive run to a Sanderson Farms Championship victory. Very little was about golf.

They talked about Gribble’s Texas Longhorns and their big win in football over Baylor on Saturday. They talked about the Chicago Cubs and the World Series. They discussed their upcoming trip to Las Vegas.

Anything to keep Gribble’s mind off the incredible run he was making.

“I knew I was in a good spot and I knew I was playing well,” Gribble said. “It’s hard not to sit there and look at the scoreboard, look where you’re at and how you’re doing.”

The small talk worked. Gribble finished with a 7-under 65 – which included five birdies on a spectacular back nine – to turn a tight fight into a four-stroke victory and his PGA Tour title.

The 26-year-old rookie started the day a stroke behind playing partners Chris Kirk and Luke List.

Gribble had two birdies on the front nine to stay in contention, then ran off birdies on Nos. 11, 13, 15, 16 and 17. He finished at 20-under 268.

Gribble looked as if he might have trouble just making the cut at the Country Club of Jackson after an opening 73. He bounced back with a 63 in the second round to jump into contention – one shy of the course record – and followed it up with a 67 on Saturday.

On Sunday, Gribble started slowly, but picked up steam on an unseasonably hot day in Jackson where the temperature pushed 90 degrees. He made a short birdie putt on 11 and then hit a difficult downhill 18-foot putt for birdie on 13.

Then he was rolling, making three more birdies on 15, 16 and 17 to pull away.

Kirk and List each shot 70 to tie for second with England’s Greg Owen (68).

“Cody played unbelievable,” List said. “He definitely deserved to win. I was happy to scramble around and get a couple under out of it.”

Kirk won the tournament in 2011, back when it was called the Viking Classic and played at nearby Annandale Golf Club. He was in contention again at the Country Club of Jackson after shooting a 65 in the third round, but nobody was able to keep up with Gribble’s torrid pace on Sunday.

“It was definitely impressive watching Cody play that back nine,” Kirk said. “I wish that I could have given him a little better run. I was just a little bit off, I guess.”

Gribble played in college at Texas and is the second member of the school’s 2012 national championship team to win a PGA Tour event. The other is Jordan Spieth.

Gribble obviously has a way to go to match the accomplishments of Spieth, who is among the world’s best players, but the Sanderson Farms win is certainly a good start. He earned $756,000, 300 FedExCup points and exempt status on tour through the 2018-19 season.

The four-stroke win was the second largest in tournament history, trailing Frank Conner’s five-stroke win in 1988.