Golf: Thompson snaps 7-year US PGA win drought at 3M Open

WASHINGTON -- American Michael Thompson snapped a seven-year US PGA title drought on Sunday, making birdies on two of the last three holes to win the 3M Open by two strokes.

Thompson, the 2012 US Open runner-up, rolled an impressive bunker shot within three feet of the cup at the par-4 16th and holed a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th to secure his first tour triumph since the 2013 Honda Classic.

"I don't know what to say. This is so exciting," Thompson said, his voice cracking with emotion as he fought back tears.

"I played such good golf today. I stayed within myself. I played within myself. This means so much to me."

Thompson fired a four-under par 67 in the final round to finish on 19-under 265 to defeat compatriot Adam Long by two shots after 72 holes at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.

World number 218 Thompson, who said his family could not be with him to celebrate due to the coronavirus pandemic, last won 166 starts ago.

His breakthrough booked the 35-year-old into next week's WGC Memphis event, next month's PGA Championship, the US Open in September and the Masters in November.

"It has been a long time," Thompson said. "To know I have security for two more years, to get in all those tournaments, it's just so exciting."

Level with Long at the tee on the reachable par-4 16th, Thompson smacked his tee shot into a greenside bunker, then blasted out of the sand to inside three feet and made his birdie putt to seize the lead alone.

After missing a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, Thompson dropped his third shot just inside 15 feet and sank the putt for the victory.

Long, who made the cut on the number, went 63-64 on the weekend, with his career-best 16 birdies in the last two rounds giving him a share of the lead with Thompson in the clubhouse.

"Ball-striking was a lot cleaner," Long said of his weekend. "I had more birdie opportunities. I just tried to keep the pedal down and make as many birdies as I could.

"The way scoring is around here, I knew I would have to keep making birdies."

Long, ranked 110th, won his only PGA title in January 2019 at the Desert Classic as a rookie. He shared second last November at the Mayakoba Classic.

A third-place pack on 268 included 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Sweden's Alex Noren, Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and Americans Robby Shelton, Charles Howell, Max Homa, Cameron Tringale, Tony Finau and Richy Werenski.

Agence France-Presse

Thompson tops Torrey as wounded Tiger quits again

LA JOLLA - Former world number one Tiger Woods withdrew after 11 holes of his opening round at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday because of a back complaint, with American compatriot Nicholas Thompson leading the way at Torrey Pines.

Woods, coming off his worst score as a professional at the Phoenix Open last week, had been favouring his back throughout his round after being forced to sit and wait out a lengthy fog delay.

The 14-times major winner, who continued to struggle with his swing and short game, was two-over-par on the North course when he decided to pull out, his third withdrawal in his last nine tournaments.

Thompson headed the field with an eight-under-par 64 on the North course, good enough for a one shot lead over Michael Thompson, who shot 65 on the same layout. Forty two players failed to finish their round before darkness fell.

Phoenix Open winner Brooks Koepka and Cameron Tringale shared third at six-under on the North, while Columbian Jhonattan Vegas had arguably the best round of the day as the only one of six players at five-under who played the South course.

Woods was due on the tee after an already lengthy delay before more Thursday fog rolled over the coastal course, causing another suspension.

"When we had that break. It just never loosened back up again. And when we went back out, it just got progressively tighter," Woods told reporters.

"It's frustrating that it started shutting down like that. I was ready to go. I had a good warm-up session the first time around.

"Then we stood out here and I got cold, and everything started deactivating again. And it's frustrating that I just can't stay activated."

FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, who was playing with Woods, noticed something was wrong early in the round and even started picking up tees for him.

"If I didn't see it on 10 (their first hole), I saw it on 11," Horschel said.

"Then I asked him when I walked off 12 tee, I said: 'back hurting you again?' He said: 'Spasms'. It was unfortunate.

"He's a fighter. He wants to get the reps in, he wants to play well, and he kept trying to play through it, hoping that it would loosen up and I think it was getting there.

"It was real tough to see him walk and even make swings."

The 39-year-old Woods now has six withdrawals in 304 PGA tournament starts but all of them have come in the last five years. (benjamin.everill@gmail.com)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com