Max Homa successfully defended his Fortinet Championship crown on Sunday in Napa, Calif., thanks to a misstep from rival Danny Willett at the last pennant.
Leading by two after 17 holes, Willett needed only to wedge a four-foot putt to claim his first PGA Tour title since 2016.
He proved Yogi Berra’s famous adage, however, by missing his two chances to settle the case. The Englishman finally made a bogey and had to settle for a card of 69 (-3), good for second place.
Amazed by the sequence, Homa (68) took advantage of Willett’s misfortunes to win with a strike, at -16. The American scored a superb birdie from off the green in the 18th and only missed the second pennant to taste victory for the second time this year, after winning the Wells Fargo Championship in May.
His compatriot Taylor Montgomery, who started the day in 37th place, impressed with a card of 64 (-8) to climb on the third step of the podium. In particular, he managed a 27-foot putt, at the halfway mark, to subtract a stroke from par.
Canadian Nick Taylor had an excellent finish to move up from 17th to sixth place. He scored four birdies between the 14th and 18th pennants to deliver a 68 (-4) card. If it wasn’t for his difficult second day (75), Taylor could have fought for the title, he who finished the competition at -11.
Leader among the representatives of the maple leaf after three rounds, Adam Svensson (73) regressed to 12th place. The British Columbian was only able to score a birdie.
Mackenzie Hughes (72) and Taylor Pendrith (77) finished 25th and 67th respectively.
A top 10 for Henderson
On the side of the LPGA, the Canadian Brooke M. Henderson chose the best moment to present her best card at the Amazingcre Classic, in Portland, Oregon.
The Ontarian shot 67 (-5) and moved up to tied 10th at -14. Henderson’s successes mostly came between the fifth and seventh holes, where she chained two birdies and an eagle. She played par or better on each of the 18 holes at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
Despite a difficult start to the day, the American Andrea Lee (66) took the top honors, at -19. After committing two bogeys in the first three holes, she bounced back nicely, dropping five par strokes on the back nine.
The only other Canadian in the running, Alena Sharp (74) stumbled in the fourth round and finished in 52nd place.