LOS CABOS, Mexico — Erik van Rooyen made a 16-foot eagle putt on the par-5 closing gap Sunday to win the World Large Know-how Championship, a day after Matt Kuchar squandered a six-stroke lead with a late meltdown.
Enjoying alongside Kuchar at Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal at Diamante on the tip of Baja California, van Rooyen performed the again 9 in 8-under 28 in a 9-under 63. He completed at 27-under 261, two strokes forward of Kuchar and Camilo Villegas.
“Fairly numb after that putt went in on 18,” van Rooyen stated. “You think about your self filled with euphoria and simply being ecstatic and I used to be simply numb. I believe it is due to all the pieces the previous six days with my pal Jon [Trasamar] being so sick. I assume simply the second simply hasn’t hit me but.”
Kuchar and Villegas every shot 66, with the 45-year-old Kuchar parring the ultimate 4 holes. Tied for the lead on 18, Kuchar — after van Rooyen and Villegas hit fairway-wood second photographs close to one another on the inexperienced — hit his method left of the inexperienced and chipped 20 ft previous the outlet.
“I am fairly bummed,” Kuchar stated. “You come out with an incredible probability to win a golf event — and the objective is to win a golf event. However I maintain my head held excessive. Erik performed unimaginable golf.”
On Saturday, Kuchar was six strokes forward at 24 beneath when he pulled his drive on 15 left into dense bushes and made a quadruple-bogey 8. He then bogeyed the par-3 sixteenth, and ended up tied for the lead with Villegas.
“I believe I performed 71 actually good holes,” Kuchar stated. “It type of seems to be the distinction, you might want to play 72 good holes out right here. I had one soar up and get me.”
Van Rooyen opened play Sunday with a bogey on the par-5 first and made birdies on Nos. 2 and 6.
“Making a 6 on one left a bitter style in my mouth,” stated van Rooyen, who received the 2021 Barracuda Championship beneath the modified Stableford scoring system. “You then drain a 35-, 40-footer on two and it is like, `OK, it is all proper. It is a foolish sport, so simply hold taking part in.'”
In his back-nine cost, he birdied Nos. 10-12, 14, 16 and 17 and closed with the eagle.
“Issues simply turned on the again 9,” van Rooyen stated. “Nice birdie on 10, virtually holed it on 11, stunning 13-, 14-footer on 12, left-right breaker within the coronary heart and also you’re off and working. Simply hung in there and made some superior putts on 16, 17 and 18.”
Justin Suh was fourth at 24 beneath after a 65. Andrew Putnam (62) and Ryan Palmer (64) have been 22 beneath.
