PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – For three days, Matt Kuchar has felt in total control of his game at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

It shows in his score.

For the second straight day, Kuchar had enough birdies to atone for one rough hole, and it carried him to a 6-under 65 to set the 54-hole tournament record and build a four-shot lead as he tries to end more than four years without a PGA Tour victory.

Kuchar was at 20-under 193, breaking by three shots his personal best on the tour, and by one shot is 54-hole score to par.

“I felt really, really good for three days,” Kuchar said. “I mean, 20 under is my best 54-hole total. I felt in control of my ball striking. I felt in control of driving, the iron play, the putting. It’s been a great three days.”

Kuchar saved par from just off the green at the 18th to keep his four-shot margin over Whee Kim, who had a 66.

The last time Kuchar had a four-shot lead going into the final round was the 2014 Houston Open, and he wound up losing in a playoff when Matt Jones made a 45-foot birdie putt on the last hole and then chipped in from 40 yards in a playoff.

The other two times Kuchar had the 54-hole lead, he won the Memorial in 2013 one week after losing a one-shot lead at Colonial.

“You know the deal, though. You have to go play good golf,” Kuchar said. “I can’t go out there and think a whole bunch of pars are going to get me in the winner’s circle. I’ve still got to make a good number of birdies, and with that, somewhat have the pedal down.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. shot a 68 and was seven shots back at 13-under 200.

Richy Werenski and Danny Lee each shot 67 and were five shots back, followed by a group that included PGA Tour rookie of the year Aaron Wise (63) and Cameron Champ (69). Champ, who played in the final group with Kuchar and Lee, already won this season at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Kuchar has been piling up birdies at El Camaleon Golf Club, and he began to pull away with four birdies on the front nine. Just like Friday, however, one hole gave him stress. It was the 12th hole in the second round, when he had to make a 35-foot bogey putt. On Saturday, it was a tee shot on the 14th. Kuchar took a penalty from the hazard, and dropped in a good lie a few inches next to the cart path.

Instead of taking relief into deeper rough, he hit with his feet on the path and picked it clean so his fairway metal wouldn’t smack into the cement. It came up just short of the green, and he chipped to 5 feet and made the bogey putt.

Kuchar responded with a tee shot to 4 feet on the par-3 15th to restore his margin to four shots, and he caught a break on the last hole when he pulled his approach, but it struck a tree and came down in light rough to set up a simple up-and-down.

Champ was trying to get into the final group for Sunday with a par on the last hole, but his wedge came out hot from the rough and rolled through the green, his chip came out heavy and he three-putted for double bogey.

Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk had a 66 and was at 13-under 200. Also seven shots behind was Anirban Lahiri of India, who was tied with Kuchar early on the front line and still in the mix until a double bogey on the 14th hole and a bogey on the 16th. He had to settle for a 69.

Kuchar’s last PGA Tour victory was at Hilton Head in 2014. He won the Fiji International with his dad caddying for him late in 2015, but struggled to contend this year and failed to reach the third FedEx Cup playoff event for the first time in nearly a decade. He also did not make the Ryder Cup team for the first time in 10 years.

“So 2018 has not been my best year, has not been a highlight for me, been a disappointing year,” Kuchar said. “But it’s got signs now of righting the ship and turning into a great start to … maybe it’s a great finish to ’18, great start to ’18-19, however you want to classify the calendar.”

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Matt Kuchar knew he was in trouble when his tee shot sailed so far to the right that he hit a provisional in case the ball was out-of-bounds.

He found the ball, and somehow never lost the lead.

Kuchar escaped his only big mess Friday with a 35-foot bogey putt on the 12th hole, and he rode eight birdies to a 7-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead over PGA Tour rookie Cameron Champ going into the weekend at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Champ, going after his second victory in three weeks, played in the morning and shot 62 with a bogey on his final hole.

Kuchar was at 14-under 128 as he tries to end more than four years without a PGA Tour victory.

“Yesterday was kind of a bogey-free day and just easy, and everything else today was about the same,” he said. “I just had that one challenging hole.”

The challenge was figuring out what to do once he found it.

The ball was under a cluster of trees and bushes with rocks scattered everywhere. Even taking a one-shot penalty for an unplayable lie was not an easy option. If his drop settled between rocks, he would have to play that or take another penalty.

Finally, he found a spot and the drop landed in enough soft soil for him to pitch out of trouble, through the fairway and into the rough. He got his fourth shot onto the green and made the long putt to escape with bogey.

“That was great,” Kuchar said. “I knew I had a par 5 following it, and I figured I was probably going to make double there and birdie on the next. I ended up making bogey there and par on the par-5 13th, so still felt like I was very much in control.”

What put Kuchar in good shape were the five straight birdies on the front nine, and then he took the lead for the first time with a birdie on No. 11 before his wild adventure on the 12th hole. Tied again for the lead, he added two birdies coming in for his two-shot cushion.

Champ already is the talk of the tour for the speed of his swing and how far he hits the ball, though there is more to his game than length. El Camaleon Golf Club is all about location – preferably the fairway – more than smashing it as far as possible.

Two weeks after winning the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, he worked on a few tweaks in his swing and was in full control of where the ball was going. For the second straight day, Champ missed only two fairways, key to good scoring at Mayakoba.

“It’s not a bomber’s course,” Champ said. “You have to place it off the tee, and some holes the rough is very thick and you’ve just got to whack it out. This course I feel like is very suitable for everyone. Just to be able to place my ball right in the fairways and on the greens and make the putts when I needed is great.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was the only Canadian to make the cut after firing a 4-under 67 to tie for 10th at 10 under. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., all exited the tournament.

An area renowned for its wild weather – rain out of nowhere, plenty of wind – has seen sunshine and calms for two days, and it’s reflected in the scoring.

The cut was at 4-under 138. The weekend will not include Jordan Spieth.

The three-time major champion missed the cut in his final event of the year after a 69. Spieth managed only eight birdies in good scoring conditions and will have the weekend off for the seventh time this year. Next up is his wedding over Thanksgiving weekend.

Kuchar, meanwhile, has more than Champ to worry about the next two rounds.

The seven players at 11-under 131 included defending champion Patton Kizzire, past Mayakoba champion Brian Gay and Anirban Lahiri of India, who has played in the last two Presidents Cups. Eighteen players were within five shots of the lead.

Rickie Fowler (68) and Tony Finau (65) were at 8-under 134, along with their Ryder Cup captain, Jim Furyk, who had a 65.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Matt Kuchar decided at the last minute to play the Mayakoba Golf Classic and made it look like a smart move Thursday.

Kuchar missed only two fairways at El Camaleon Golf Club, key to good scoring, and kept bogeys off his card for a 7-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Dominic Bozzelli and PGA Tour rookie Kramer Hickok.

Kuchar has gone more than four years since his last PGA Tour victory. His 64 was his lowest opening round on tour since a 64 in the 2017 Phoenix Open.

“It’s an amazing resort, Mayakoba. So to be able to bring the family to enjoy some vacation time, it’s a bit of a working vacation,” Kuchar said. “I had a good time at the office, as well.”

Most players did, with more than half of the 132-man field in the 60s.

Canadian Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was in the group after carding a bogey-free 66 highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 13th hole. Fellow B.C. product Nick Taylor is T42 at 3 under par.

Jordan Spieth was not among them. Playing his second straight week in the fall – and his last tournament before his wedding – Spieth traded birdies and bogeys and had to settle for an even-par 71, leaving him in need to a good round Friday just to stick around for the weekend.

One of his former roommates had no such issues.

Hickok also played college golf at Texas and lived with Spieth in Dallas until a few months ago, when all the roommates had to find other arrangements as Spieth prepares for his marriage to Annie Verret.

Spieth had his first PGA Tour victory seven months after leaving college early. Hickok toiled on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada, then the Web.com Tour before finally making it to the big leagues. But he says he learns plenty by playing with Spieth at home.

“I’m reaching out when I’m home and trying to pick his brain a little bit here and there, but really just watching him play, what he does at practice,” Hickok said.

Among those in the large group at 65 was Abraham Ancer, whose tie for fourth last week in Las Vegas moved him to No. 98 in the world. That made Ancer the first Mexican golfer to crack the top 100 in the world ranking, and he carried that to his native soil and kept moving in the right direction.

Also at 65 were Bud Cauley as he returns from a car accident at the Memorial in early June, and defending champion Patton Kizzire, who made back-to-back eagles on the par-5 fifth hole and by holing out on the par-4 sixth.

Rickie Fowler was among those at 66.

Kuchar has slipped to No. 40 in the world, failed to reach the third round of the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in a decade and did not play in the Ryder Cup for the first time in 10 years. He still keeps upbeat on and off the golf course, and decided while in Las Vegas (a tie for 57th) to play Mayakoba.

His caddie already had other plans, so Kuchar hired a local caddie from El Camaleon.

His wife, Sybi, also got in on the act. Kuchar was playing with Zach Johnson, whose caddie (Damon Green) became ill from the heat with four holes to play. Kuchar’s wife was following along in the gallery and carried Johnson’s bag the rest of the way.

“I knew she had caddied for me before and was friendly with Zach Johnson, and figured she would be good to handle it, and Zach would go easy on her,” Kuchar said.

Kuchar and Johnson live at Sea Island on the Georgia coast.

Spieth was 2 under through eight holes until he dropped three shots over the next eight holes. Going back to an old driver didn’t help as he hit only six fairways, making it tough to score for anyone out of the rough.

“If you’re not driving it well, this course is extremely hard,” Kuchar said. “If you’re driving it well, you can make some birdies, which I was able to do today.”

St Andrews, Scotland – The road to Royal Portrush will include a stop in Hamilton, Ont.

The R&A announced today that next years RBC Canadian Open will be one of 16 events in 11 countries that will make up The Open Qualifying Series for 2019.

The Emirates Australian Open, which is being played from 15-18 November at The Lakes in Sydney, will be the first opportunity for players to secure their place at Royal Portrush next year. The leading three players, who finish in the top ten and ties and who are not already exempt, will qualify for The Open.

A total of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the PGA TOUR, the European Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

“The race to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush has well and truly begun and we are eagerly anticipating an exciting series of events as golfers around the world aim to book their place at the Championship,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A. “We know that there is real excitement at the prospect of The Open returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 70 years and it will undoubtedly act as an extra incentive for those players who are hopeful of teeing it up at the famous Dunluce links in July.”

The 2019 RBC Canadian Open will take place June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf & Country CLub, offering up three qualifying places into The 148th Open.

Regional Qualifying and Final Qualifying events will take place at venues throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

The Open Qualifying Series (TOQS) will offer the following qualification places in The 148th Open:

NB: Any player who has qualified through The Open Qualifying Series is deemed an exempt player. In the event that that player subsequently fulfils other exemption categories those places in the starting field will be subject to Section F of The Open Entry Form.

LAS VEGAS – Bryson DeChambeau saw signs of greatness last season on the PGA Tour when he won three times against the strongest fields this side of the majors.

He started a new season headed down the same path.

In his only fall start, DeChambeau never shot worse than 66 over four days in Las Vegas, holed an eagle putt from just inside 60 feet on the 16th hole and closed with smart play for pars to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Sunday by one shot over Patrick Cantlay.

“I was coming out here to try and kick rust off and was able to play some good golf,” DeChambeau said. “I’m happy to get it done.”

The eagle putt took him from a one-shot deficit to a two-shot lead when Cantlay made bogey from a deceptive lie in the bunker ahead of him on the 17th hole. DeChambeau won for the fourth time in his last 12 starts on the PGA Tour and moved to No. 5 in the world ranking.

He had to survive a wild back nine at the TPC Summerlin in which four players had a share of the lead at some point.

What. A. Putt. ?@B_DeChambeau takes the lead with an eagle at 16.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/R8aIoDRrSr

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 4, 2018

Cantlay, trying to become the first player to win back-to-back in Las Vegas in nearly 20 years, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th hole to take a one-shot lead. But from a bunker right of the green on the par-3 17th, Cantlay was fooled by the amount of sand under his ball and flubbed the shot.

DeChambeau wasn’t entirely sure where he stood. He could see Cantlay made the putt on the 16th hole and had to ask if it was for birdie or eagle. DeChambeau easily cleared the water, and his ball went just over the back of the green. He thought he hit it perfectly. Then, he thought he might have hit it too hard. It held its line at the end, and DeChambeau responded with a big uppercut.

“I haven’t given a reaction like that in a while,” he said.

Cantlay birdied the 18th for a 65, but it wasn’t enough when DeChambeau played the final two holes conservatively for pars to finish at 21-under 263.

DeChambeau won for the third straight season, and fifth time overall on the PGA Tour.

The 25-year-old American began his big run with a playoff victory at the Memorial, and then won consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events in New Jersey and Boston. He said he was playing Las Vegas to shake off a little rust, and it turned into another victory.

“I thought I had it in me, but I didn’t know if I could do it,” DeChambeau said. “Last year I saw signs of something great. I didn’t know where it would lead me. But I think it led me in the right direction.”

Not since Jim Furyk in 1998-99 had anyone successfully defended his title in Las Vegas, and Cantlay looked as if he might get it done when he drove the green on the par-4 15th for a two-putt birdie, and then rolled in another good birdie after having to lay up on the 16th. His tee shot into the 17th was a fraction away from catching a slope and feeding toward the hole. Instead, it tumbled into the bunker to set up what appeared to be a relatively simple shot.

“When I dug my left foot in, it didn’t have a bunch of sand, and then obviously when I hit my shot there was more sand under the ball and didn’t anticipate that,” Cantlay said. “It was a tricky one and I hit a poor shot.”

He wasn’t the only player stung by the outcome.

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover had a 4-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole that would have given him a share of the lead with three holes to play. Glover missed the putt, and then missed a 30-inch par putt. One hole later, he was three shots behind.

Glover finished with a triple bogey for a 71 and tied for seventh. He shot 61 on Saturday.

Peter Uihlein, who shared the 54-hole lead with DeChambeau, didn’t make a birdie until the 11th hole, finished bogey-bogey for a 75 and tied for 23rd.

Sam Ryder was one shot behind when his second shot to the par-5 16th bounced off a knob and back into the water. He managed to save par and birdied the last hole with a 15-foot putt for a 62 to finish alone in third.

Rickie Fowler (63), Abraham Ancer (66) and Robert Streb (68) were another shot behind.

DeChambeau won for the fifth time in just his 68th start as a pro on the PGA Tour, dating to his victory in the John Deere Classic in 2017.

Canadian Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., finished tied for 36th at 10 under par.

HAMILTON, Ont.  (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at the historic Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

With a new premier spot on the PGA TOUR schedule in early June, the 2019 RBC Canadian Open promises to be a summer festival celebration to mark the unofficial start of Canada’s golf season.

CLICK HERE to get your tickets for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the RBC Canadian Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the PGA TOUR.

General admission tickets, starting at just $25 for early week access, provide access to the grounds to get an up-close look at the stars of the PGA TOUR including defending champion and Team RBC member Dustin Johnson.

Tournament rounds for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are $70; a Sunday final-round ticket is $80; and a weeklong, fully-transferable badge is $160. As well, Tuesday admission for RBC Hall of Fame Day is complimentary with the purchase of a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday ticket. A specially-priced youth ticket (13-17 years old) is also available while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long.

In addition to general admission tickets and corporate hospitality products, the RBC Canadian Open also offers a pair of premium ticket products—The 1904 Club and The Trophy Club—for golf fans to experience the 110^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.

The 1904 Club is located inside the clubhouse at Hamilton Golf and Country Club and offers an air-conditioned experience with ample televisions and indoor views of the 18 green, as well as an outdoor patio with views of the driving range and 1st tee. Tickets for The 1904 Club start at $125.

The Trophy Club is a premium social experience situated in the heart of the action at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. Located behind the 14th green with a view of the 15th tee and fairway, guests will enjoy all-inclusive food and beverage from a raised, covered structure. Well suited for passionate event fans or small businesses looking to host smaller client groups, cost for this upscale ticket experience is $260 per day, with savings available for those purchasing multi-day commitments.

Volunteer opportunities to be a part of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open are also available with a full listing of committee positions here.

New in 2019, with the RBC Canadian Open date change to early June, Golf Canada has introduced a new Student Volunteer Program for students to earn their required volunteer hours during the week of Canada’s National Open Championship.

The tournament’s return to the Harry Colt designed course in 2019 is timed perfectly – marking the 100-year anniversary since the renowned club originally hosted Canada’s National Open Golf Championship.

Hamilton Golf and Country Club previously hosted five Canadian Opens, with the first taking place in 1919 – a championship featured two of the most legendary names in golf – Bobby Jones and Francis Ouimet. J. Douglas Edgar would go on to earn a 16-stroke win – a PGA TOUR record stands to this day as the largest margin of victory.

Other players to have won the Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club include Tommy Armour (1930), Bob Tway (2003), Team RBC member Jim Furyk (2006) and Scott Piercy (2012).

The 2019 RBC Canadian Open in early June begins an exciting new chapter for Canada’s National Open Championship. Join us at the historic Hamilton Golf & Country Club to witness great golf, activities for all ages including ‘The Rink’, local food and patio experiences, plus new event features being announced in the coming weeks.

Get your tickets today and be a part of one of Canada’s premier sporting events – www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.

Volunteer, sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, visit us online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR announced today that Aaron Wise has been named the 2018 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2017-18 season.

PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 FedExCup events during the 2017-18 season were eligible to vote. The balloting process ended on October 1.

The 22-year-old resident of Las Vegas earned his first PGA TOUR victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson, becoming the second player in history to win on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada (PGA TOUR-era), Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR, joining Mackenzie Hughes. His win also represented the 500th TOUR win by a Web.com Tour graduate.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, our congratulations to Aaron Wise on being voted PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “For Aaron to have won on the PGA TOUR, the Web.com Tour and Mackenzie Tour before the age of 22 is remarkable, and qualifying for the TOUR Championship as a rookie proved there is no stage too big for him.”

One of eight rookies to qualify for the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs, Wise was the only one to advance to the season-ending TOUR Championship, finishing No. 24 in the FedExCup. In the 12 seasons of the FedExCup, 12 rookies have advanced to the TOUR Championship, with 10 subsequently being named Rookie of the Year.

For the season, Wise collected four top-10s in 29 starts, highlighted by his win at the AT&T Byron Nelson and a runner-up at the Wells Fargo Championship. In the FedExCup Playoffs, Wise tied for fifth at THE NORTHERN TRUST and earned two additional top-20s.

The University of Oregon product is the first player from a Pac-12 Conference school to win the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year award since Tiger Woods in 1996.

Wise was one of three rookie winners in 2017-18, including Austin Cook and Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira.

He was selected for the honour over Cook and Kodaira, as well as Keith Mitchell and Joaquin Niemann.

JACKSON, Miss. – Cameron Champ’s prodigious drives weren’t finding the fairways during much of Sunday’s final round at the Country Club of Jackson. Even so, he wasn’t fazed.

The 23-year-old was ready to prove he’s more than just a big hitter.

Champ birdied five of the last six holes thanks largely to clutch putting, fending off Canadian Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., to win the Sanderson Farms Championship, recovering for his first PGA TOUR victory after giving up a four-shot lead.

“I’ve kind of been a streaky putter at times, so I’m just trying to slowly grow other parts of my game,” Champ said. “Short game and putting, but mainly putting.”

That hard work on the greens paid off in a big way during a wire-to-wire win. Champ won in his ninth career tour start, closing with a 4-under 68 for a four-stroke victory. He finished at 21-under 267.

The rookie has made a name for himself during his short career by being extremely long off the tee, but it was his putter that saved him on Sunday. He made a 38-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th that gave him a two-shot lead and saved par on No. 17 with a 15-footer.

“Just to see those putts go in and the confidence it gives me through the rest of my game really helped this week,” Champ said.

Champ played on Sunday with his backup driver after snapping the head of his regular driver during pre-round warmups. He said the switch didn’t have much of an effect, instead attributing his accuracy issues off the tee to adrenaline.

“The front side, there were some nerves,” Champ said. “But on the back side I brought it all together and finished strong. It was awesome.”

Champ began the day four shots ahead, but played the front nine in 1 over to fall into a tie. He cruised through the first six holes at 1 under, but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8 brought him back to the pack.

While Champ was struggling, Conners, a product of the Canadian national team, was surging on a warm day in central Mississippi that saw temperatures climb into the 80s. The 26-year-old Canadian had three birdies on the front nine, and his birdie putt on the par-4 No. 9 had him in serious contention.

 

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Shoutout to Canadian @coreyconners on a solid runner-up finish at the @sanderson_champ ????

A post shared by RBC Canadian Open (@rbccanadianopen) on Oct 28, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT

Champ and Conners then engaged in a tense back-and-forth for much of the back nine before Champ’s run of four straight birdies starting on the 13th.

Even with that impressive stretch, Champ could only push ahead by two shots because Conners birdied two of those four holes as well.

But Conners missed a 7-foot eagle putt on the short par-4 15th that proved costly. He finished with a 68 en route to collecting his best career finish on the PGA TOUR.

Another thrilling run by Canada’s @coreconn with a 2nd place #PGATOUR finish. It’s only a matter of time, CC!

Until next time ???? pic.twitter.com/T3VdDTkT8C

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) October 28, 2018

Carlos Ortiz (64) and Sam Burns (68) were six shots back.

Nick Taylor (69) of Abbotsford, B.C., finished tied for 26th at 8 under. Ben Silverman (71) of Thornhill, Ont., tied for 39th with Adam Svensson (68) of Surrey, B.C.

Champ closed out his victory with one final stunning moment on No. 18. After another long, wayward drive, he punched a 158-yard recovery shot from the left rough that stopped just 7 feet from the hole. No surprise: He made the putt for yet another birdie.

Champ earned $792,000 and 300 FedExCup points, and he’ll be fully exempt on the PGA Tour through the 2020-21 season. The victory does not earn him an invitation to the Masters because the event was held opposite the World Golf Championship in Shanghai, but he’ll have plenty more opportunities to make his way to Augusta National.

SHANGHAI – Xander Schauffele gave the Americans a sweep of the World Golf Championships and quickly put a winless sophomore season behind him.

Schauffele made birdie on his final three holes Sunday, the last one a two-putt birdie from about 30 feet on the par-5 18th hole to beat Tony Finau in a sudden-death playoff and win the HSBC Champions.

“When I was signing my card, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. I actually went birdie-birdie to get in the playoff,” Schauffele said. “I was just in my own world out there.”

He began the tournament by celebrating his 25th birthday. He ended it with one clutch shot after another in the closing stretch at Sheshan International for a 4-under 68, the lowest score of the final round, and his first victory in 13 months.

Schauffele won twice in his first year on the PGA Tour to win rookie of the year. Last season featured high finishes, but only one good chance at winning when he was a runner-up in the British Open at Carnoustie.

Now he has three victories, the last two at the Tour Championship to end the 2017 season and now a World Golf Championship.

Finau, who started the final round with a three-shot lead in his bid for a second PGA Tour-sanctioned victory, was ahead by one shot until Schauffele made an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, only the fourth player to make birdie on that hole Sunday.

Defending champion Justin Rose missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 17th and went to the final hole two shots behind. Trying to make eagle, he went from the bunker to the rough to over the green and into the water, making a bogey for a 72 to finish four shots behind.

That meant Brooks Koepka, who closed with a 69 and tied for 16th, stayed at No. 1 in the world for at least another week.

Then, it was a battle between the two Americans.

Finau faced a risky shot from his ball sitting high in the rough by going for the green. It narrowly cleared the water, leaving him an eagle putt from about 35 feet that he placed to a few feet from the cup. Schauffele’s second shot into the par-5 18th landed on the putting surface and rolled just over the back as the 25-year-old American said, “Sit!” six times before it settled just off the green.

He ran his eagle putt 3 feet by and made that for birdie. He and Finau finished at 14-under 274.

In the playoff, Schauffele again hit the fairway and hit a 5-iron to the middle of the green. Finau went into the face of the bunker on the left, had no choice but to lay up, and his third shot was 20 feet on the fringe. He missed his birdie putt to extend the playoff.

“Definitely feel like I let one get away,” said Finau, whose only PGA Tour victory was at the Puerto Rico Open two years ago. “Xander played incredible golf today. It was playing tough out there. He posted a number and made birdie on a playoff hole when it counted. Hats off to him. He played nicely today and deserved to win.”

The United States becomes the first country to have four players win the four World Golf Championships. Phil Mickelson won the Mexico Championship, Bubba Watson won the Dell Match Play and Justin Thomas won the Bridgestone Invitational.

The Americans also won all four WGCs in 2013 when Tiger Woods won two of them, Matt Kuchar won the Match Play and Dustin Johnson won in Shanghai. Americans now have won 41 of the 69 events since the World Golf Championships series began in 1999. Woods has won 18 of them.

Rose was trying to join Woods as the only players to successfully defend a WGC title – Woods has done it eight times – and birdied the 13th and 14th holes to pull within one shot of the lead. But he misfired from the fairway on the 15th into a bunker and made bogey, and he couldn’t catch up.

He needed to finish second alone to replace Koepka at No. 1 in the world.

“Tough day for everybody,” Rose said, alluding to only three players shooting in the 60s in the final round. “You just look at the scoreboard. Seems like everyone fell apart. It was a three-horse race all day. It was hard to keep the mistakes off the card completely today.”

He gets another chance to go back to No. 1 when he defends his title in the Turkish Airlines Open next week.

Rose’s third shot to the 18th nicked Schauffele’s ball, sending both balls down the slope and into the water. Schauffele was allowed to replace his ball without penalty, though it was an indication how close his shot was from trickling down the hill and into the water, which would have cost him the tournament.

Schauffele, under strong consideration but left off the Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick, moved to No. 12 in the world.

Canadian Adam Hadwin (75) tied for 30th.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (71) and Andrew Putnam (72) tied for fourth. Putnam was making his debut in the World Golf Championships.

JACKSON, Miss. – Cameron Champ shot an 8-under 64 on Saturday to open a four-stroke lead in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Champ has held at least a share of the lead all three days at Country Club of Jackson, opening with a 65 and shooting a 70 on Friday. Averaging a field-best 306.7 yards of–f the tee, the 23-year-old PGA Tour rookie has hit 44 of 54 greens in regulation. On Saturday, he hit 15 of 18 and had just 25 putts.

“Obviously, today went great,” Champ said. “I executed all the shots that I wanted to … and just kept up with my game plan. Took advantage of the par 5s, made the putts when I needed to. I was just able to give myself a lot of chances.”

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was second, matching Champ with a 64 to get to 13 under.

“I just tried to keep the pedal down,” Conners said. “I was hitting the ball really well, so I just tried to stay aggressive. I didn’t hit quite as many fairways toward the end, but I was able to still score the ball pretty well.”

Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman (71) of Thornhill, Ont., were tied for 36th at 5 under. Adam Svensson (72) of Surrey, B.C., was tied for 58th.

D.J. Trahan, the 2006 winner when the event was the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, was five strokes back with Shawn Stefani. Trahan shot 67, and Stefani had a 68.

“Unless (Champ) decides to come back to the field, somebody is going to have to run hard to catch him,” Trahan said. “That’s really good golf. I mean, what was he, 9-under to start the day? Yeah, that’s amazing golf right there.”

Norman Xiong, the 19-year-old who was tied with Champ for the second-round lead, had a 76 to drop into a tie for 36th at 5 under.