HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) - C.T. Pan took advantage of Dustin Johnson’s back-nine meltdown to win the RBC Heritage for his first PGA Tour victory.
The 27-year-old Pan, from Taiwan, closed with a 4-under 67 on Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links for a one-stroke victory over Matt Kuchar. Pan finished at 12-under 272.
The top-ranked Johnson, the third-round leader in his home-state event, had a 77 to tie for 28th at 4 under. He played a five-hole stretch in 7 over, making bogeys on Nos. 11-13 and double bogeys on Nos. 14-15.
Pan took the lead for good with a 9-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th.
Kuchar closed with a 67.
Patrick Cantlay, Scott Piercy and Shane Lowry tied for third at 10 under. Cantlay and Piercy shot 69, and Lowry had a 70.
Pan headed to the practice range after the round to keep ready in case of a playoff, then raised his arms in triumph when told he’d won. He earned $1,242,000, a PGA Tour exemption through 2020-21 and spots in next month’s PGA Championship and next year’s Masters. He’s the RBC Heritage’s fourth straight first-time winner.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) - Scott McCarron completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic for his third victory at TPC Sugarloaf.
The winner of the PGA Tour defunct BellSouth Classic at the course in 1997 and 2001, McCarron closed with a 1-under 72 for a two-stroke victory over Jerry Kelly, Joe Durant, Kirk Triplett and Kent Jones in the PGA Tour Champions event.
The 53-year-old McCarron finished at 7-under 209 for his ninth victory on the 50-and-over tour. He won three times on the PGA Tour.
McCarron lost the lead with a slow start, playing the first four holes in 1 over with two birdies, a bogey and double bogey on the par-5 third. He birdied the par-4 13th to break a tie with Durant and opened a two-stroke lead with an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th.
McCarron earned $270,000 and took the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup points race.
Kelly birdied the final two holes for a 67. Durant, Triplett and Jones shot 69.
Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz tied for 61st among the 77 finishers at 11 over, shooting 80-74-73. The former Atlanta Braves star got into the field on a sponsor exemption. He tied for 53rd in Tucson, Arizona, in March his tour debut.
WEB.COM TOUR
PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) - Lanto Griffin made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff, and he won with a birdie on the fourth extra hole in the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship on the Web.com Tour.
He denied Robby Shelton a victory in his home state. Shelton played three years at Alabama.
Griffin’s birdie on the final hole in regulation gave him a 4-under 68. Shelton closed with a 69 to join him at 15-under 273.
They traded pars twice on the 18th hole and once on the ninth hole during the playoff before Griffin hit his approach on the 18th to 3 feet. Shelton’s 25-foot birdie putt slid by the hole, and Griffin knocked in the short putt for the win.
Griffin, who had not finished in the top 20 in his previous seven starts on the Web.com Tour, moved to No. 9 in the points standings.
Tyler McCumber (67) tied for third and moved to the top of the points standings. The top 25 earn PGA Tour cards at the end of the season.
LPGA TOUR
KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) - Brooke Henderson successfully defended her Lotte Championship title Saturday to tie Sandra Post’s record for LPGA Tour victories by a Canadian with eight. The 21-year-old Henderson closed with a 2-under 70 at breezy Ko Olina Golf Club for a four-stroke victory over Eun-Hee Ji.
Henderson closed with seven straight pars and finished at 16-under 272.
Ji shot a 73. Ariya Jutanugarn (73) and Minjee Lee (74) tied for third at 11 under.
Nelly Korda, tied with Henderson for the third-round lead, finished with a quadruple-bogey 8 for a 77 that left her seven strokes back at 9 under.
OTHER TOURS
Brendan Jones closed with a 7-under 64 and won the Token Homemate Cup by one shot over Matthew Griffin on the Japan Golf Tour. It was the Australian’s 15th career victory on the Japan Golf Tour. … John Somers made eagle on the par-5 18th hole for a 5-under 66 and a two-shot victory over Alex Weiss in the Chile Open on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. Joaquin Niemann took a break from the PGA Tour to play his national open and closed with a 66 to finish alone in third. … Seong-yeoun Lee shot 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory in the Nexen-Saintnine Masters on the Korean LPGA Tour. …Ji-hee Lee closed with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory in the KKT Cup Vantelin Ladies Open on the Japan LPGA Tour.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.