Jordan Spieth hit a 56-foot shot from a greenside bunker to 7 inches and beat Patrick Cantlay with the tap-in par putt on the first hole of a playoff Sunday in the RBC Heritage.
Playing four groups ahead of Cantlay, Spieth birdied Harbour Town’s par-4 18th lighthouse hole in regulation, holing a 10-footer for a 5-under 66 and 13-under 271 total. Cantlay parred the 18th in regulation for a 68.
When Spieth finished, he was a stroke behind Shane Lowry. But Lowry’s chip on the par-3 14th raced across the green and into the water, leading to double bogey. He finished a stroke back after a 69.
Jordan Spieth celebrates from the front bunker after chipping in at the 18th hole during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP PhotoStephen B. Morton)
In the playoff, Cantlay also hit into the front bunker, with his lie looking like a fried egg. He blasted 35 feet past the cup and missed the par putt.
Three strokes behind Harold Varner III entering the round, Spieth eagled both front-nine par 5s to get into the mix for his 13th PGA Tour title.
Spieth has won from the bunker before. He beat Daniel Berger with greenside bunker shot on first extra hole at the 2017 Travelers Championship.
Cam Davis (63) also was a stroke back with Varner (70), J.T. Poston (64), Cameron Young (66), Sepp Straka (68), Matt Kuchar (68).
LPGA TOUR
Hyo Joo Kim staved off a late charge from Hinako Shibuno to win the LPGA Tour’s LOTTE Championship on Saturday.
Kim closed with a 1-under 71 — following a bogey on the par-4 17th with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 18th — to finish at 11-under 277, two shots clear of Shibuno at breezy Hoakalei Country Club.
Kim earned $300,000 for her fifth LPGA Tour title. The 26-year old South Korean star had a three-stroke lead after both the second and third rounds.
Shibuno, from Japan, finished with a bogey-free 70. Hye-Jin Choi was third at 7 under after a 69.
KORN FERRY TOUR
Tyson Alexander became the first player in Korn Ferry Tour history to successfully defend a title, rallying to win the Veritex Bank Championship on Saturday.
Alexander closed with a 6-under 65 to finish at 22-under 262 at Texas Rangers Golf Club, two strokes ahead of Pontus Nyholm (62) and Byeong Hun An (66).
Alexander capped his bogey-free round with a birdie on the par-5 18th. The 33-year-old former University of Florida player earned $135,000 for his second tour victory. Last year, he closed with a 64 to take the inaugural event at 23 under.
OTHER TOURS
Kazutaka Higa closed with a 1-under 70 for a one-shot victory over Rikuya Hoshino in the Kansai Open on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Sihwan Kim made a double bogey on the final hole and still had a big enough lead to win the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge by two points over Ladies European Tour player Maja Stark. Kim won his second Asian Tour titlte in six weeks and leads the Order of Merit. The event was co-sanctioned by the LET. ... Nozomi Uetake closed with a 1-under 71 and won a four-way playoff in the KKT Cup Vantelin Ladies Open on the Japan LPGA. ... Ji Young Park finished with a 3-under 69 for a six-shot victory in the Mediheal Hankook Ilbo Championship on the Korean LPGA.