VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) — Brian Campbell cashed in on a huge break Sunday when his tee shot in a playoff bounced out of the trees and back into play, leading to a birdie on the second extra hole to win the Mexico Open over Aldrich Potgieter.
Campbell, who closed with a 1-under 70 at Vidanta Vallarta, won for the first time since he turned pro a decade ago and the timing could not have been better. The victory sends him to the Masters, The Players Championship and the PGA Championship, along with five of the signature events left on the tour schedule.
Campbell and Potgieter, who shot 71, each made birdie on the 18th in regulation and began the playoff with a par. Returning to the par-5 closing hole for the third time — a big advantage for the 20-year-old South African with his power — the 31-year-old Campbell hit a low, hard fade toward the out-of-bounds stakes.
But it crashed into the trees and popped back out into the rough. He still was 94 yards behind Potgieter, but at least he had a shot. He hit fairway metal to 68 yards short, and hit a lob wedge to 4 feet. Potgieter came up a foot short and into a bunker. He blasted out some 6 feet by and missed the birdie putt to the left.
Campbell was winless in 186 starts on the Korn Ferry and PGA Tour combined, earning $1,487,830. His payoff Sunday was $1,260,000.
Potgieter started the final round with a one-shot lead, fell behind with two bogeys to end the front nine, caught up to Campbell with a superb up-and-down on the par-5 14th. They each made one bogey coming in and finished at 20-under 264.
LPGA Tour
PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) — Angel Yin won for the second time on the LPGA Tour, making a shot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 7-under 65 that was just enough to hold off hard-charging Akie Iwai of Japan in the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Yin started the final round on the Pattaya Old Course at Siam Country Club with a five-shot lead. She played bogey-free. She had four birdies on the last six holes. And it was barely enough to capture the title.
Akie, who along with twin sister Chisato Akie are LPGA rookies this year, was dynamic to the very end when she made eagle on the par-5 closing hole for a 61 to momentarily tie for the lead. Yin got her birdie to finish at 28-under 260.
European tour
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Jacques Kruyswijk of South Africa closed with a 4-under 67 and held on to win the Kenya Open for his first European tour title.
Kruyswijk finished at 18-under 266 at Muthaiga Golf Club for a two-shot victory over John Parry, who shot a 68.
The 32-year-old Kruyswijk completed the weekend bogey-free and carded four birdies in the final round. Having started the day one shot ahead, Kruyswijk was overtaken by Parry within five holes, but back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 saw him regain the lead.
Other tour
Nick Voke closed with a 3-under 69 and held on for a one-shot victory over Jake McLeod (65) in the Webex Players Series Sydney on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
The Associated Press
