In a battle of the 2 largest names within the discipline, Tony Finau fended off Jon Rahm and received the Mexico Open at Vidanta for his second title of the season on Sunday in Vallarta, Mexico.
Finau denied the world No. 1 from Spain a second straight title on the comparatively new PGA Tour cease at Vidanta Vallarta. Rahm had fired a third-round 61 to attract inside two photographs of Finau, however as the 2 stars contended head-to-head within the closing group Sunday afternoon, Finau’s bogey-free 66 bested Rahm’s 67.
Finau turned in a 24-under 260 for the week, with Rahm taking solo second at 21-under 263.
“(Rahm) is the best. He’s on top of the world right now,” mentioned Finau, who will transfer up 5 spots to No. 11 within the Official World Golf Ranking. “I knew I was gonna have my hands full with him all the way to the end.”
Finau birdied the par-4 first gap and the par-3 fifth. Rahm responded together with his first birdie of the day on the par-5 sixth whereas Finau parred, and each made birdie on the par-4 seventh.
It was all pars till Finau scored once more on the par-3 eleventh, sticking his first shot to 9 ft of the pin. By then he was out of attain. Rahm was energetic late, including three birdies and a bogey, however he by no means bought shut sufficient to make issues attention-grabbing.
“It’s a great reminder that what you’ve done means absolutely nothing, you still have to go out there and do it,” the Masters champion mentioned. “It’s also good so you don’t think too much of yourself, right? Like obviously I wanted to win, but it’s a reminder that everybody out here is a great player and Tony came out with a two-shot lead and played fantastic golf.
“I feel like had I been able to pressure him a little more, we would have seen more birdies from Tony.”
Finau beforehand received the Houston Open in November. Sunday marked his sixth profession PGA Tour win, 5 of them coming previously 20 months.
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“I didn’t know this golf tournament was mine until I just hit this (18th) green here,” Finau mentioned. “It’s crazy how this game is. You never think you have a tournament won until it’s over.”
Brandon Wu shot a 3-under 68 on Sunday to take third place at 19 underneath. Akshay Bhatia (70 on Sunday) was fourth at 18 underneath, and Eric Cole (66), Austin Smotherman (67) and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (65) tied for fifth at 16 underneath.
Another Argentine, Alejandro Tosti, entered the week ranked No. 444 on the planet however made two eagles Sunday and shot a final-round 64 to soar right into a tie for tenth at 13 underneath, sufficient to qualify for subsequent week’s Wells Fargo Championship.