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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 23 april 2019
C.T. Pan rallies to win RBC Heritage for 1st PGA Tour title

By PETE IACOBELLI a bogey on the straightfor-
AP Sports Writer ward, par-4 ninth — Lowry
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. had birdied it two of the first
(AP) — C.T. Pan watched three rounds — dropped
the Masters last week with him back. He stubbed a
his wife, and sometimes pair of chips on the 12th
caddie, Yingchun Lin, hole and took double bo-
thrilled by Tiger Woods' stir- gey.
ring victory at Augusta Na- Lowry scratched back
tional. within a shot of Pan with
His wife, Pan recalled, told a birdie on the 14th, but
him point blank, "Hey, I'm could come no closer.
not patient, so you bet- He said he'll take positives
ter get me (to Augusta) as from the week. "Look, after
soon as possible." coming so close, it's hard
Pan complied quickly, to describe what it's like,"
taking advantage of top- Lowry said "But I'm sure I'll
ranked Dustin Johnson's get over it and move on to
back-nine meltdown Sun- next week."
day to win the RBC Heri- Kuchar, the 2014 winner at
tage for his first PGA Tour Harbour Town, put togeth-
victory. C.T. Pan celebrates with his trophy after winning the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour er a charge of five birdies
Along with $1.242 million, Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Sunday, April 21, 2019. Pan won with a 12-under par to tie Pan for the top. But
the win opens a world of op- for his first PGA victory. a bogey on the par-3 17th
portunities for the 27-year- Associated Press following a tee shot into the
old Taiwanese player: He's bunker ruined his chances
exempt on tour through stretch in 7 over, making at the Farmers Insurance went into the bunker, a of a second tartan jacket.
2020-21, in line to make the bogeys on Nos. 11-13 and Open in 2017 and last year foot or so from the wood- "It was so much fun," Kuchar
President's Cup Interna- double bogeys on Nos. 14- at the Wyndham Champi- en-board facing. He barely said. "Getting in the mix on
tional team this year and 15. onship. got it out, shook his head the back nine here on Sun-
will have an opportunity Pan took the lead for good Johnson, the 20-time PGA and tossed his wedge day. That back nine, I was
he's dreamed about since with a 9-foot birdie putt on Tour champ, carried a down against his bag. really, really enjoying my-
taking up the game in the the par-4 16th. one-shot lead into the final He flew his tee shot into the self."
mid-1990s by playing at Au- Pan headed to the prac- round and the South Caro- water on the par-3 14th Cantlay looked like a sec-
gusta National. tice range after the round lina native seemed a strong to drop two more shots. ond strong weekend — he
"It's a good problem to to keep ready in case of a bet to add the Palmetto Johnson added a second went 64-68 his final two
have," Pan said. playoff, then raised his arms State's only tour stop to his double bogey on the par-5 rounds at the Masters to tie
Pan shot a 4-under 67 to fin- in triumph when told he'd trophy case. But Johnson 15th, a hole he had birdied for ninth — might bring him
ish at 12-under 272, a stroke won. never found a rhythm early the first three rounds. victory as he tied for the
ahead of Matt Kuchar "It's still really hard for me and lost all hope with his Johnson waved to the top with consecutive bird-
and two in front of Patrick to believe," he said. "I'm uncharacteristic drop off. stands on the 18th when he ies on the 14th and 15th
Cantlay, Scott Piercy and processing. My phone has He had a birdie on the fifth closed with a birdie. holes. He had a chip from
Shane Lowry. Kuchar had been vibrating the last 10 to keep on top. Johnson's Lowry, who had three bo- just off the green on the
a 67, Cantlay and Piercy minutes. I'm so happy I fi- collapse started mildly with geys over his final six holes 18th for a tying birdie, but
had 69s and Lowry a 70. nally got it done." a bogey on the par-3 sev- Saturday to lose a lead he did not come close.
The top-ranked Johnson, Pan won twice on the PGA enth hole. It took full flight held much of the week, "I hit a lot of solid shots and
the third-round leader in Tour Canada in 2015 when on the back nine. appeared to regain his ear- (it) just wasn't enough," he
his home-state event, had he turned professional. Johnson's frustrations were lier form with birdies on the said.
a 77 to tie for 28th at 4 un- He's finished second twice in full display on the par-4 second, fifth and sixth holes Pan's wife was key to his
der. He played a five-hole in PGA Tour events, once 13th when his approach to take a two-shot lead. But playing here this week.q

Nadal to face 63rd-ranked Mayer in Barcelona Open

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — round bye. He is coming through qualifying after
Defending champion Ra- off a loss to Fabio Fognini in missing the deadline to
fael Nadal will face Leonar- the semifinals of the Monte enter the main draw, de-
do Mayer in his first match Carlo Masters. feated Japanese Yoshihito
at the Barcelona Open. "My personal opinion is that Nishioka 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. He will
Mayer defeated Marius I played one of the worst play third-seeded Dominic
Copil 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5 in matches on clay," Nadal Thiem of Austria on Tues-
the first round on Monday. said in Barcelona. "It's a day.
The 63rd-ranked Argentine reality. There is no need In other results on Monday,
saved all five break points to hide it. What has hap- Fernando Verdasco de-
he faced in a match lasting pened has happened." feated wild card Feliciano
Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts more than two and a half Fognini, the champion in Lopez 6-4, 6-3 in an all-
during their semifinal match of hours. Monte Carlo, will play ei- Spanish match, Mackenzie
the Monte Carlo Tennis Mas- Second-ranked Nadal, an ther Nicola Kuhn or Federi- McDonald of the U.S. beat
ters tournament against Italy's 11-time winner in Barce- co Delbonis, who meet on Taro Daniel of Japan 6-2,
Fabio Fognini in Monaco, Sat- lona, opens play at the Tuesday. 6-2, and Taylor Fritz got past
urday, April, 20, 2019. clay-court tournament on Argentine Diego Schwartz- Reilly Opelka 6-3, 6-4 in a
Associated Press
Wednesday after a first- man, who had to go meeting of Americans.q