BETHESDA, Md. — Billy Hurley III held the club in his left hand and fist pumped with his right. Not far from his Annapolis home and the Naval Academy he graduated from, he became a champion.
Hurley shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday to win his hometown Quicken Loans National at Congressional for his first PGA Tour victory. He finished at 17 under in Tiger Woods’ annual tournament, three strokes ahead of three-time major champion Vijay Singh.
To beat Singh, Ernie Els and 21-year-old Jon Rahm, Hurley showed the poise he developed at the Naval Academy and during his five years of service. Mental toughness and focus he said help with adversity on the course, and that showed through in his 104th PGA Tour start.
With the 53-year-old Singh closing on him, Hurley was at his best. He holed out from 35 yards on the fairway for birdie on the 15th, a shot worthy of celebration and one Woods himself called “impressive, really impressive.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Hurley made a 27-foot putt on the 16th to seal the tournament and wrap up the $1,242,000 first-place prize and a spot in the British Open. He had never finished higher than a tie for fourth in a PGA Tour event.
Hurley celebrated on the 18th green with wife Heather, daughter Madison and sons Will and Jacob. His children held miniature American flags.
Singh closed with a 65. Rahm, the former Arizona State star from Spain, wrapped up his professional debut with a 70 to tie for third with Bill Haas (68) at 13 under. Els was fifth at 12 under after a 72
NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP
ROGERS, Ark. — Top-ranked Lydia Ko won the NW Arkansas Championship for her third LPGA Tour victory of the year, closing with a 3-under 68 for a tournament-record 17-under total and a three-stroke victory.
The 19-year-old New Zealander has 13 career LPGA Tour victories, also winning the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California. She broke the previous tournament record by two strokes.
Ko has finished sixth or better in each of her four appearances at Pinnacle Country Club, and she has shot under par in all 12 rounds.
Morgan Pressel, tied for the lead with Ko at 14 under entering the day, had a 71 to tie for second with Candie Kung (69).
AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
MADISON, Wis. — Kirk Triplett rallied to win the inaugural American Family Insurance Championship for his fifth PGA Tour Champions title, making four straight birdies in front of another large crowd at University Ridge.
The 54-year-old Triplett shot a 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under 199, two strokes ahead of Bart Bryant and Mike Goodes on the course softened by 2 inches of overnight rain. Because of the wet conditions, players were allowed to use preferred lies in the fairways.
With son Sam serving as his caddie, the three-time PGA Tour winner birdied the par-4 13th, 14th and 15th and par-5 16th, saved par with a 6-footer on the par-3 17th and parred the par-4 18th.
Bryant, the leader at 17 under after a birdie on 14, had a 69. He made a triple-bogey 7 on the 15th after losing his ball when it sailed to the right off the tee.
Goodes shot a 68 playing alongside Triplett.
BMW INTERNATIONAL
PULHEIM, Germany — Sweden’s Henrik Stenson closed with rounds of 67 and 71 in a 36-hole day for a three-stroke victory in the rain-delayed BMW International Open.
Stenson finished at 17-under 271 at Gut Laerchenhof for his 10th European Tour title. He also won the 2006 event and was second the previous two years.
South Africa’s Darren Fichardt and Denmark’s Thorbjoern Olesen tied for second. Fichardt shot 68-69, and Olesen 67-73.
AIR CAPITAL CLASSIC
WICHITA, Kan. — Ollie Schniederjans won the Air Capital Classic in hot conditions for his first Web.com Tour title, beating amateur Collin Morikawa and J.J. Spaun with an 18-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff.
Schniederjans shot a 3-under 67 to match Morikawa and Spaun at 17-under 263 at Crestview Country Club.
Schniederjans matched the course record with a 61 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead. The 23-year-old former Georgia Tech star earned $112,500 to jump from 14th to third on the money list with $245,713, more than enough to wrap up a PGA Tour card as a top-25 finisher in the regular season.
Morikawa, the Pac-12 freshman of the year at California, shot his second straight 63. He played the final five holes of regulation in 5 under, with an eagle on the par-5 14th and birdies on the par-4 15th, 16th and 18th. Spaun finished with his second 64 in a row. He also played the final five holes of regulation in 5 under, with an eagle on 14 and birdies on the next three.
ISLAND RESORT CHAMPIONSHIP
HARRIS, Mich. — Thailand’s Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong won the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass for her second Symetra Tour title.
Santiwiwatthanaphong closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions to finish at 6-under 210. She earned $18,750 to jump from ninth to third on the money list with $49,523, with the final top 10 earning LPGA Tour cards.
Jackie Stoelting, the winner of the last two events, tied for second at 4 under with fellow two-time winner Madelene Sagstrom and Peiyun Chien.
Stoelting had a 70, and earned $9,254 to remain second on the money list with $62,200. Sagstrom finished with a 73, and pushed her tour-record money total to $114,157. Chien also finished with a 73.
Jessica Wallace, tied for the lead with Santiwiwatthanaphong at 5 under after eight holes, shot a 76 to tie for 15th at even par. The Canadian had a double bogey and three bogeys on the final 10 holes.
