Martin Laird of Scotland hit it big in Las Vegas for the second time.
The 37-year-old Laird sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to turn back Matthew Wolff and Austin Cook, winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin for the second time.
“It’s been a while for me to win, but I’ve been working hard,” said Laird, who claimed the first of his four PGA Tour victories in the 2009 Shriners, but had not won since the 2013 Valero Texas Open. “Seven years is a long time, so it’s emotional.
“I’ve been working hard and felt like I was playing well for the last few weeks, but the results weren’t coming until this week, and I feel my game is a good as it’s every been. I needed a sponsor’s exemption to get into the field this week and I really appreciate it.
“I love it here and I really enjoy this course.
“This might be the best one, because it’s been a while. I’m going to really enjoy this one.”
Laird holed a 20-foot bunker shot from a plugged lie for an eagle on the ninth hole, but had a one-stroke lead before making a bogey on the last hole to shoot 68 and finish at 23-under 261.
Wolff, from Agoura Hills, who won the 2019 3M Open and finished second in the U.S. Open last month, holed a nine-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole in a 66 to get into the playoff, while Cook, who won the 2018 RSM Classic, also wound up at 66.
Abraham Ancer of Mexico birdied the last two holes to cap a 67 and finished three strokes back in solo fourth, while James Hahn of Alameda and Cal holed out from 167 yards for an eagle on the second hole to kick-start his 68 and was four shots behind in a tie for fifth with Peter Malnati, who collected four birdies on the back nine in a 66, and Will Zalatoris, who sank a five-foot birdie putt on No. 16 on his way to a 69.
Sixth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis, the U.S. Open champion who won the 2018 Shriners, closed with a 66 that was highlighted by a 12-foot eagle putt at No. 15 and was one more down in a tie for eighth with Justin Suh of San Jose and USC (67), Matthew NeSmith, who had a 68, Si Woo Kim of South Korea, who totaled 69, and 2017 Shriners champion Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA, who struggled to a 73.
Seventh-ranked Webb Simpson, the 2014 Shriners champion, tied for 13th after a 67, and defending champion and two-time Shriners winner Kevin Na of Diamond Bar, stumbled to a 73 and tied for 43rd.
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