Miami (AFP) – Taiwan’s Kevin Yu bagged the first PGA Tour win of his career in a playoff after a dramatic finale at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi on Sunday. The 26-year-old from Taipei conjured a birdie on the par-four 18th to grab a share of the lead and then downed Beau Hossler on the opening playoff hole to clinch victory at the Country Club of Jackson.
It capped a remarkable final round rally for Yu, who had carded a closing five-under-par 67 to finish on 23 under alongside Hossler at the top of the leaderboard. “It’s literally a dream come true,” an elated Yu said after his win. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was five. I think this is the dream for all the golfers — to win on PGA.”
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Yu paid tribute to his parents — who were on hand to witness his victory — for helping him forge a career as a professional golfer. “My dad taught me how to play golf since I was five and they’ve been working really hard, sacrificing a lot of the things…without them I can’t have done this today.”
Yu had started the final round two off the lead behind Keith Mitchell on 20 under, with Hossler just a shot ahead. Mitchell’s final round challenge wilted though with a patchy two-under-par 70, allowing Hossler to take the lead with a four-under-par 68, moving a shot clear of the field with a birdie on the 17th hole.
But Yu fought back with a brilliant birdie on 18, rolling in a 15-foot pressure putt to force a playoff. Yu then repeated the feat as the playoff returned to the 18th, this time though setting up a birdie chance with a second shot that left him just five feet from the hole.
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