Charl Schwartzel smiles as he leaves the 18th green during the final round of the Valspar Championship on March 13, 2016 in Palm Harbor, Florida.Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
Charl Schwartzel used two big birdies to close with a four-under 67 and made up a five-shot deficit. All he needed was a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday at Innisbrook to beat Bill Haas and win the Valspar Championship.
Schwartzel's two-putt par on the 18th hole in a playoff gave him his third victory worldwide in his past six starts dating to December.
Haas, who never trailed over the final 27 holes of regulation, hit his tee shot into the trees in the playoff, came up short into a bunker and blasted long out of the soft sand to 20 feet. He missed the par putt, and Schwartzel tapped in for his first victory in the United States since the 2011 Masters.
The loudest cheers belonged to Lee McCoy, the senior at Georgia who grew up next to Innisbrook and made good on his first sponsor's exemption. Playing alongside Jordan Spieth, McCoy shot 69 to finish alone in fourth.
It was the best finish by an amateur in a PGA Tour event of top players since 17-year-old Justin Rose tied for fourth at the British Open in 1998 at Royal Birkdale. Robby Shelton tied for third last year in the Barbasol Championship, held opposite the British Open.
McCoy would have earned $292,800 (U.S.) had he been a pro.
"It's surreal to say the least," McCoy said.
Spieth fell behind early, never caught up and closed with a 73 to tie for 18th, seven shots behind. He couldn't help but applaud McCoy when he finished his round.
Schwartzel was the only player who put any sustained pressure on Haas, and he made his move with a 65-foot birdie putt across the green on the par-three 13th hole. He got up and down from a tough lie in the bunker for birdie on the 14th, made a tough par save from the edge of a bunker on the 16th and rolled in a 25-foot putt on the 17th.
He posted at seven-under 277.
Haas had a two-shot lead with three holes to play and had made tough par saves to stay in front. It finally caught up with him when he made bogey from the bunker on the 16th hole, and he closed with two pars for a 72.
With more swirling wind on the Copperhead course, Schwartzel and McCoy were the only players to break par from the last nine groups.
"I think everyone's goal is to keep bogeys off the card," Schwartzel said when he finished his regulation round. "You're just surviving."
That wasn't easy to do.
Steve Stricker was two shots out of the lead until he made a double bogey on the par-five 11th and never recovered. Graham DeLaet of Canada, starting the final round one shot behind and determined to get his first PGA Tour victory, never made a birdie in his round of 75.
Ryan Moore hit the ball great and couldn't figure out the greens, which were slower than normal. Moore was within one shot of the lead at the turn, but he closed with 12 straight pars for a 71 to finish two shots out of the playoff in third place.
It also was a tough day for Ian Poulter, who had a 75-75 weekend and tied for 67th.
That bumped Poulter down to No. 67 in the world ranking, which could knock him out of the Dell Match Play. This was the final week before the world ranking is used to determine the 64-man field (Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson are not playing). PGA Tour rookie Patton Kizzire closed with a 72 and tied for 33rd, enough to move past Poulter.
Australian Hend wins in Thailand
Australia's Scott Hend won the Thailand Classic, closing with a four-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Thailand's Piya Swangarunporn.
Hend finished at 18-under 270 at Black Mountain in the event sanctioned by the European and Asian tours. Piya had a tournament-record 63.
Final-round 66 propels Lee Jung-Min
Lee Jung-Min won the World Ladies Championship on Sunday, beating fellow South Korean players Lee Seung-Hyun, Kim Bo-Kyung and Ji Han Sol in rainy conditions at Mission Hills.
Lee Jung-Min closed with a sic-under 66 for a nine-under 279 total on the Olazabal Course in the event sanctioned by the European, Korean and Chinese tours. She also won the team competition with Ko Jin-Young at 12 under. Kim finished with a 69, and Ji and Lee Seung-Hyun shot 71.