Monday, December 23, 2024

PGA Tour: England’s Aaron Rai wins Wyndham Championship after Max Greyserman crumbles late in final round

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England’s Aaron Rai landed his first PGA Tour title with a two-shot win at the Wyndham Championship after Max Greyserman crumbled late in the final round.

Rai finished with a six-under 64 having carded a two-under 68 earlier on during a day in which everyone played at least 36 holes due to Thursday being wiped out by inclement weather and delays also seen on Friday and Saturday.

The 29-year-old closed on 18 under for the tournament as he finally triumphed on the North American circuit after a number of near misses, including when he came second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June.

Rai trailed by four shots midway through the back nine when Greyserman holed out from 91 yards for eagle on the par-four-13th, only for the American to quadruple bogey his next hole after driving out of bounds.

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Max Greyserman imploded on his back nine in North Carolina as his victory hopes ebbed away

Greyserman then followed a birdie at 15 with a double bogey at 16 as he four-putted on the par three and ended up outright second on 16 under after parring17 and 18 and signing for a one-under 69.

Rai – who birdied his final hole after picking up four shots on his front nine and another at 12 – was already a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, victorious at the Hong Kong Open in 2018 and Scottish Open in 2020.

Rai: This is a dream come true

Aaron Rai wins the 2024 Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour (Associated Press)
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Aaron Rai won the 2024 Wyndham Championship for his first PGA Tour title

The Wolverhampton-born player said after winning in North Carolina: “It truly is a dream come true. So many people have played a huge role in me being at this point.

“There’s a huge team behind me and I wouldn’t be here without all of them. I am just extremely happy and grateful to be here and to surrounded by great people.

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America’s J.J. Spaun and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsume shared third place on 15 under, three strokes adrift of Rai, while halfway leader Matt Kuchar is tied 12th on 11 under par with one hole remaining.

Kuchar will now miss on out on the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time since the series’ inception in 2007, with the 46-yearold needing to win the Wyndham Championship to extend his season.

Matt Kuchar watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club, Friday, July 26, 2024, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
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Matt Kuchar will miss out on the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career

The former world No 4, the only player to reach every FedExCup Playoff campaign to this point, will end up outside the top 70 in the standings and be a notable omission from the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis from Thursday.

Watch the opening event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, live on Sky Sports Golf from 5pm on Thursday. Coverage picks up on Sky Sports Main Event from 9.30pm.

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.

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