PGA TOUR
3M Open
Champ Claims Third PGA Tour Win
Cameron Champ returned to form scoring an emotional victory at the 3M Open in Minnesota. The 26-year-old American held back the tears after he holed out his three-foot par putt at the 72nd hole for a two-shot margin over three players. It was his third PGA Tour title.
Prior to teeing off this week at TPC Twin Cities, Champ’s showing this PGA Tour season was well below par. The talented rising star languished in 142nd spot on the FedExCup standings after he made just 10 cuts from 22 starts. His T11 result at the John Deere Classic two weeks ago was his highest finish in nine months. He was in danger of missing the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career since gaining his PGA Tour card for the 2018/19 season.
Champ, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, turned around his fortunes with a bogey-free final round 5-under 66. He posted the superb Sunday score after carding rounds of 69, 67 and 67 over the first three days. He becomes the fourth player aged 27 and under to score at least one win in each of the past three seasons—Collin Morikawa (24), Jon Rahm (26) and Bryson DeChambeau (27).
Champ completed the tournament at 15-under. His tally outlasted South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel by two shots. The pair took a share of second place at 13-under with Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas.
Oosthuizen, aged 38, fired a final round 5-under 66 with three birdies at his final four holes. The 2010 Open Champion is still to win on US soil. This week is his fourth runner-up finish on the PGA Tour this season. The smooth swinging nine-time winner on the European Tour now owns 12 runner-ups during his career on the PGA Tour.
Schwartzel produced a final round 3-under 68 for his best individual result on the PGA Tour this season—besting his T3 at the AT&T Bryon Nelson. The 36-year-old Masters champion’s last victory on the PGA Tour was at the Valspar Championship in 2016.
Vegas, who in 2017 became the first player from Venezuela to compete in the Presidents Cup, collected his third second place this season after signing for a 3-under 68 on Sunday. The 36-year-old was searching for his fourth PGA Tour title and first win in four years.
America’s Cameron Tringale, who was hoping for his maiden PGA Tour title, led the field into the final round holding a one-shot lead over compatriots Gary Woodland and Maverick McNealy. Tringale failed to overturn the latest trend on tour where the 54-hole leader was unsuccessful in getting the job done. Only one player (Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship) in the last 14 events has gone on to win after leading the field into Sunday. Tringale has now made 307 PGA Tour starts with 977 career rounds without a win. The 33-year-old boasts the most money earned in prize money without a title—more than US$14 million. He posted a disappointing final round 3-over 74 to fall back to a tie for 16th place.
Cam Davis was the best-placed Australian. The 26-year-old, who won the Rocket Mortgage Classic earlier this month, fired a stunning 7-under 64 for the best round on Sunday. Davis finished at 7-under for the event and in a tie for 28th place.
World No. 2 Dustin Johnson missed the cut by two shots. The 37-year-old American posted rounds of 70 and 72 to finish at even par. Johnson has had 17 starts on the PGA Tour this season. It was the third time he hasn't made it to the weekend.
Final Scores
3M Open
1. Cameron Champ -15
T2. Louis Oosthuizen -13
T2. Jhonattan Vegas -13
T2. Charl Schwartzel -13
5. Keith Mitchell -12
Australians
T28. Cam Davis -7
T34. Cameron Percy -6
T51. Aaron Baddeley -3
MC. Greg Chalmers
MC. Lucas Herbert
MC. Rhein Gibson
MC. John Senden
Photo credit: David Berding /Getty Images
