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A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 5 March 2019

Keith Mitchell

gets his first

PGA Tour win,

taking Honda

By TIM REYNOLDS Mitchell birdied four of his
AP Sports Writer final seven holes, including
PALM BEACH GARDENS, a 15-footer on the last for
Fla. (AP) — Keith Mitchell’s a 3-under 67 and a 9-un-
first and until now only win der 271 total. Koepka (66)
as a professional was three and Fowler (67) made big
years ago, on something charges as well on a wild
called the G Pro Tour. and windy day at PGA Na-
As is the case with minitour tional, yet settled for a tie
life, hardly anybody was for second at 8 under, one
watching and hardly any- shot behind Mitchell.
body noticed. He earned Fowler gave Mitchell a Keith Mitchell holds up his trophy after winning the Honda Classic golf tournament Sunday, March
$5,600. warm embrace when they 3, 2019, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Those days are long gone. crossed paths after the final Associated Press
After 97 tries on the PGA putt. minutes later. When he finished at 2:32 tournament, two of the big-
Tour, the Web.com Tour “Awesome guy,” Fowler “Everybody dreams about p.m., he was two shots ger names coming down
and even the Latinoamer- said. “Obviously, a good having that putt on the back and the final group the stretch and having a
ica Tour, Mitchell is finally enough player to win.” 18th hole to win a tourna- was on the fifth hole. chance to win. That’s what
a winner — and had to Koepka and Fowler both ment,” Mitchell said. “And I “I’ve got an outside this golf course will do.”
outslug two of the game’s birdied the 18th. Fowler ac- had it today.” chance, for sure,” Palmer Singh, the 56-year-old
best players for that long- tually birdied three of his Ryan Palmer (63) and Lucas said when he was done. who was bidding to be-
awaited victory. A birdie on final four holes, including a Glover (66) tied for fourth at About two hours later, he come the oldest winner of
the par-5 18th on Sunday 45-footer on the 17th. 7 under. And for a while, it was in the outright lead. a PGA Tour event ever —
capped Mitchell’s win at But Mitchell didn’t waver in looked like Palmer might Not long after that, he was Sam Snead was 52 when
The Honda Classic, where the wind. steal the tournament. in a six-way tie atop the lea- he won the 1965 Greater
he held off Brooks Koepka He was on the upslope of a Palmer was tied for 48th af- derboard. And his chance Greensboro Open — was
and Rickie Fowler. fairway bunker about 205 ter the opening round, tied lasted until 5:07 p.m., when right there until the end.
“It was awesome,” Mitch- yards from the pin for his for 51st after 36 holes and Koepka tapped in for birdie Singh, who hasn’t won on
ell said. “I wish that I could second shot at the par-5 tied for 39th when the final on the last and took the this tour since 2008, settled
come up with a better word 18th. All he could do from round began. But he start- clubhouse lead at 8 under. for outright sixth after a 70.
than that, but just having a there was hit a pop-up, ed with four straight birdies Koepka was good. Fowler Clark, the third-round lead-
chance to come down the leaving him with a wedge on the way to going out in was good. er, was two shots clear of
stretch against Rickie Fowl- in for his third. 29 — the first player to ever Mitchell was just one swing everybody when he made
er and Brooks, those guys That checked up about 15 do that in a final round at better. an uphill putt from just right
are the best in the world feet below the hole, giving the Honda. He rolled in a “It was good for the fans,” of the green on the par-
and they’ve been out here him a putt to win. He made 25-footer from just off the said Koepka, the Palm 4 4th, that birdie making
proving themselves. And it, pumped his fist and wait- green for birdie at the par-4 Beach County native and him 9 under. But he made
I’m just pleased that I could ed for the final group of 16th, then stuck his tee shot two-time defending U.S. bogeys on four of his next
prove myself against guys Wyndham Clark and Vijay to 6 feet and made birdie Open champion. “They got eight holes, falling off the
like that.” Singh to finish about five at the par-3 17th. what they wanted, a good pace.q

Park wins 6th LPGA title with

final-round 64 in Singapore

SINGAPORE (AP) — Sung Hyun Park made sure there
were no anxious moments as she closed in on her sixth
LPGA Tour victory on Sunday at the HSBC Women’s World
Championship.
Four strokes behind No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn at the start
of the final round, the world No. 2 birdied five of her first
seven holes and added four more birdies on the back
nine for an 8-under 64 and a two-stroke victory.
Over the first three rounds, Park was 3-over on the back
nine. Park had a four-round total of 15-under 273 at Sen-
tosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course.
Park has traditionally had a slow start to the new season.
“So last year, my shots and like overall thing was pretty
unstable in the beginning of the season, and I think my
training in the last winter really helped me a lot, and it also
helped me to be stronger with my play,” she said. In this Oct. 14, 2018, file photo, Sung Hyun Park of South Korea watches her shot on the second hole
during the final round of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky72 Golf Club in Incheon,
“I didn’t think I would win this fast ... I think I will play really South Korea.
comfortable the rest of my season.”q Associated Press