CHARLOTTE, N.C. — James Hahn beat Roberto Castro with a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday in the Wells Fargo Championship to snap a three-month slump. ADVERTISING CHARLOTTE, N.C. — James Hahn beat Roberto Castro with
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — James Hahn beat Roberto Castro with a par on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff Sunday in the Wells Fargo Championship to snap a three-month slump.
Hahn, who failed to make the cut in his previous eight tournaments and hadn’t shot a round in the 60s since February, made a 4-foot putt on the par-4 18th to win his second career PGA Tour title.
Castro’s tee shot on the playoff hole found the creek on the left side of the fairway and his third shot landed in a spectator’s shoe on the side of the green, leading to a bogey.
Hahn bogeyed the 18th in regulation for a 2-under 70, and Castro had a 71 to finish at 9 under, one shot ahead of Justin Rose (71). Hahn also won the 2015 Northern Trust Open at Riviera.
Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson both shot 66 to tie for fourth at 7 under with third-round leader Rickie Fowler (74) and Andrew Loupe (71).
Castro broke a tie when he rolled in a birdie putt from 6 feet on the 15th hole to get to 11 under. But he quickly gave the lead up with bogeys at 16 and 17. That gave Hahn a one-shot lead, but Hahn rolled a 7-foot putt past the hole and took a bogey on 18.
Castro, playing with Fowler in the group behind Hahn, got up-and-down from the rough on right side of the fairway on 18 and went on to make a 6-foot par putt to force the playoff.
YOKOHAMA TIRE LPGA CLASSIC
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Ariya Jutanugarn held on to become the first Thai winner in LPGA Tour history, closing with a 1-under 71 on Sunday in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
The 20-year-old Jutanugarn player beat Amy Yang, Morgan Pressel and Stacy Lewis by a stroke after losing two shots off her third-round lead.
Jutanugarn had four birdies and three bogeys a day after tying the tournament record with a 63.
The long-hitter gave cheering fans a wave and smile as she approached the final green, chipping to 5 feet to set up a par putt. Jutanugarn finished at 14-under 273 on the Senator Course at Capitol Hill.
There was plenty of drama but no ending collapse this time. Last month in the ANA Inspiration, she had a two-stroke lead with three holes left and closed with three bogeys to finish fourth — two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko in the major championship. In the 2013 LPGA Thailand at age 17, Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in a one-stroke loss to Inbee Park.
Yang bogeyed the 17th in a 67. Lewis shot her third straight 68. Pressel also had a 68.
Lewis had her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.
INSPERITY INVITATIONAL
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Jesper Parnevik won the Insperity Invitational for his first PGA Tour Champions victory, shooting a 5-under 67 for a four-stroke victory.
The 51-year-old Swede won in his 23rd career start on the 50-and-over tour. The five-time PGA Tour winner finished at 12-under 204 at The Woodlands Country Club.
Local favorite Jeff Maggert, first-round leader Mike Goodes and South Africa’s David Frost tied for second. Maggert, a Woodlands resident and former Texas A&M player, had a 71. Frost shot 69, and Goodes 70.
John Daly tied for 17th at 2 under in his PGA Tour Champions debut. The two-time major champion closed with a 71 after opening with rounds of 70 and 73. He turned 50 on April 28.
WORLD LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP SALONPAS CUP
IBARAKI, Japan — Lexi Thompson won the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup, closing with an even-par 72 for a two-stroke victory over Japan’s Ayaka Watanabe.
The long-hitting American finished at 13-under 275 at Ibaraki Golf Club in the Japan LPGA Tour major championship. She shot a 65 on Saturday to take a five-stroke lead into the final round.
Thompson won for the first time in Japan. Third in the world ranking, she won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February for her seventh LPGA Tour victory.
Watanabe closed with a 69.
TROPHEE HASSAN II
RABAT, Morocco — South Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun won the Trophee Hassan II for his first European Tour title, beating Spain’s Nacho Elvira with a 20-foot birdie putt on the second hold of a playoff.
The 20-year-old Wang made an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th to force the playoff, then holed a 50-footer on the first extra hole to match Elvira’s birdie.
Wang closed with a 2-under 70 in rainy conditions to match Elvira (69) at 5-under 283 on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
England’s Robert Rock (70) and France’s Clement Berardo (73) were a stroke back.
In the Ladies European Tour, Spain’s Nuria Iturrios won in her second start as a professional. The 20-year-old Iturrios shot a 7-under 65 on the Blue Course. She finished at 11-under 277 for a six-stroke victory over Florentyna Parker (73). Seventeen-year-old American Angel Yin was third at 4 under after a 70.
SELF REGIONAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION WOMEN’S HEALTH CLASSIC
GREENWOOD, S.C. — Madelene Sagstrom ran away with the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic for her second Symetra Tour victory of the season.
The 23-year-old Swede won by six strokes, closing with a 2-over 74 to finish at 10-under 278 at The Links at Stoney Point. She earned $37,500 to push her leading total to $93,714 and join Cindy LaCrosse and Vicky Hurst as the only players in tour history to top $90,000 in a season.
Sagstrom also moved within a victory of an immediate LPGA Tour promotion as a three-time winner, and is guaranteed a big tour spot next season with a top-10 finish on the Symetra Tour money list.
Sagstrom opened with a 66 to take a three-stroke lead, added a 67 on Friday for a seven-shot edge and shot 71 on Saturday to push the advantage to nine. She has started the season with five straight top-five finishes, also winning the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial.
Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai was second at 4 under after a 71.
Lorie Kane won the 18-hole Legends Tour event with a 71 for her second straight victory. The 51-year-old Canadian also won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, the joint that Sagstrom also won last month in Florida. Kane earned $10,500. Michelle McGann was a stroke back.
