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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 1 OcTOber 2019
Emotional Cameron Champ hangs on to win Safeway Open

By MICHAEL WAGAMAN for eagle on 18 before mak-
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Cam- ing the short birdie putt.
eron Champ broke down "At least I made him think
in tears when it was over. about it a little bit," Had-
Playing while his grandfa- win said. "I knew I had to
ther fights cancer in nearby do something special. Put
Sacramento, the 24-year- a little pressure on him and
old Champ won the Safe- made him make birdie for
way Open on Sunday for it."
his second PGA Tour title. Champ missed every fair-
He made a 3-foot birdie way on the front nine but
putt on the par-5 18th hole made several big second
for a one-stroke victory shots to stay in front. None
over Adam Hadwin at Sil- was more impressive than
verado Resort. after he drove into the far
Champ raised both arms left rough on the par-5 fifth,
then shared a long em- pitched up and over a tall
brace with his caddie be- tree and onto the green 17
fore breaking into tears as feet away and two-putted
he hugged his father, Jeff, for birdie.
on the green. Champ's Champ bogeyed No. 8,
grandfather, Mack, is bat- but rebounded with a bird-
tling stomach cancer and ie on No. 9. He had a short
is in hospice. Mack intro- chip-in for par on No. 11 af-
duced Champ to golf at a ter chunking his approach
young age. shot.
"For me to do something "I just kept grinding," said
like this, for me to win, and Champ, who had 21 bird-
for him to be able to witness ies in the four rounds. "I got
and watch on TV, I know some key up-and-downs.
he was probably amped The chip-in on 11 was huge,
up," Champ said. "For him and the up-and-down
to be able to see me make on 15 just kind of kept my
that putt on 18 on the 72nd Cameron Champ poses with his trophy on the 18th green of the Silverado Resort North Course round going."
hole, that will go down as after winning the Safeway Open PGA golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, in Napa, Calif. Champ's only other tour
the greatest moment ever Associated Press victory came last October
in my career. in Mississippi at the Sander-
"It was just kind of meant had five birdies and over- his father. On the other end nothing. The whole week son Farms Championship.
to be. Everything fell into came a bogey on No. 17 was Mack. there was nothing else He hadn't finished higher
place." — "Adrenaline," Champ "With everything going on on my mind. It just kind of than sixth since, missing the
Champ's second victory in said — to hold off Hadwin. with my family, with my blurred everything else." cut 12 times.
33 events didn't come with- Champ closed with a 3-un- grandpa, I wasn't sure if I Hadwin birdied the final Marc Leishman (65) was
out its moments, especially der 69 to finish at 17-under was even going to play," three holes for a 67 to tie third at 14 under. Justin
down the stretch. 271. Champ said. "I showed up Champ at 16 under, then Thomas (69), Charles How-
Three strokes ahead en- Afterward, Champ was Thursday and teed it up watched from nearby as ell III (68) and Zac Blair (68)
tering the round, Champ handed a cell phone by with no practice round, Champ nearly chipped in were 13 under.q

McIlroy, Els take swing at

European Tour for course set-ups

good golf is rewarded as just in Europe but across the "Had so much blow-back
well as it could be." world. from players," Els wrote on
"I'm sick of coming back "I would personally like to Twitter, "we had to ease up
over to the European Tour see tougher set-ups in Eu- & now 20-under wins."
and shooting 15 under par rope," McIlroy wrote, "be- Els said the biggest events
and finishing 30th," said the cause it will produce bet- "need courses 'major'
No. 2-ranked McIlroy, who ter, more complete, young tough. Test the best!"
actually finished in a tie players in the future and McIlroy, who mostly plays
In this Aug. 24, 2019, file photo, Rory McIlroy hits from the tee on for 26th on 15 under at the that can only be a good on the PGA Tour, also re-
the third hole during third round play in the Tour Championship
golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Dunhill Links in Scotland — thing for the game and our ferred to his 34th-place fin-
Associated Press seven shots behind the win- Ryder Cup chances." ish at the Scottish Open in
ner, Victor Perez. Ernie Els, another four-time July after being 13 under
LONDON (AP) — Two of the Rory McIlroy was the first to McIlroy clarified his com- major winner, came out in par overall. That left him
biggest names in golf have vent his frustration, saying ments in an Instagram post support of McIlroy on Mon- nine strokes behind the win-
taken a swing at the course after the final round of the on Monday, saying "strat- day and used as an exam- ner, Bernd Wiesberger.
set-ups on the European Alfred Dunhill Links Cham- egy, course management ple the reaction of some The European Tour said it
Tour, saying they need to pionship on Sunday that and shot-making" were European Tour players in would not be responding
be tougher to test the best "there are no penalties for key aspects of golf being 2010 to his redesign of the to the criticism of McIlroy
players. bad shots" and "I don't feel taken out of the game not West Course at Wentworth. and Els.q