DETROITAldrich Potgieter outlasted Max Greyserman for his first PGA Tour championship on Sunday, capping the lengthy Rocket Classic with an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole.
After three players missed chances on the green, resulting in the longest playoff of the tour season, Potgieter remarked, “I finally got one to the hole.”
Before approaching his father, Heinrich, he rejoiced by embracing his caddie and shaking hands with both Greyserman and his caddie.
With an average of more than 326 yards off the tee, Potgieter, 20, is the tour’s youngest player and its greatest hitter. This season, he became the ninth player to win for the first time.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic limiting his competitive prospects, Potgieter, who was born in South Africa, relocated to Australia when he was eight years old and returned to South Africa at the age of seventeen.
“We had to give up a lot,” he continued, “moving back to Australia.” It is undoubtedly not the easiest thing to migrate. Having my dad here has been a huge assistance as I’ve been grinding it out since moving to the States alone at the beginning of my career.
Just after turning 20, Potgieter became the second-youngest golfer to obtain a PGA Tour card through the minor league after winning the British Amateur at the age of 17 and being the youngest Korn Ferry Tour winner the previous year. Jason Day, who was 19 in 2007, was the youngest.
After making a 9-foot putt past the cup on the first extra hole with a chance to win, Chris Kirk missed a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole, which led to his elimination.
On the 72nd hole at Detroit Golf Club, Greyserman and Potgieter both had chances to win it all, but they were unable to make birdie putts to break a tie with Kirk at 22 under.
Greyserman predicted that this one will hurt for a short while.
Greyserman and Kirk each shot 67, while Potgieter, who had been two strokes ahead going into the round, finished with a 3-under 69.
Potgieter missed a 42-foot putt that was uphill, and Greyserman missed a 12-foot putt. Kirk had the chance to win it because of that, but he was unable to do so. Kirk had a chance to win it with a 9-foot putt, but he pushed it to the right of the cup to prolong the playoffs after Greyserman and Potgieter each made two-putts from 39 feet for par and 20 feet, respectively.
Greyserman was the only one who was accurate off the tee and didn’t take advantage of the situation when the three of them reached the par-3, 158-yard 15th hole.
Greyserman and Potgieter both missed 16-foot putts that would have won them the game on the par-4 16th hole, continuing the trend.
Greyserman made his longest drive of the week, 361 yards, at the par-5 14th hole, trailing Potgieter’s effort by just 2 yards. Potgieter pulled his putt after hitting his approach from 195 yards to 19 feet. Greyserman made a birdie with a two-putt from 29 feet out.
Potgieter put an end to it after Greyserman two-putted from 34 feet, putting the team back at No. 15 for the second time in the playoffs.
“It just wasn’t my time,” said Greyserman, who failed to win his maiden PGA Tour title and finished second for the fourth time.
Jake Knapp (68) and Michael Thorbjornsen (67) were eliminated from the playoffs by a single stroke.
Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa is still holding out hope that his drought would end.
He finished 19 under and tied for ninth place with a score of 68. The two-time major champion, who finished fifth in the global rankings and was the top player in the field, hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since the Zozo Championship in Japan in October 2023.
After winning the Travelers Championship last week, Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who now sits at No. 7 in the world, finished with a 67 to tie for 41st at 12 under.
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