Cantlay wins Zozo Championship for 3rd career PGA Tour title
Patrick Cantlay came from behind to win the Zozo Championship on Sunday to claim his third career PGA Tour title.
The 28-year-old entered the final round trailing Justin Thomas by three strokes but rode a smoking-hot putter to a 7-under 65 at Sherwood Country Club. He erased the only two bogeys he made all week with nine fourth-round birdies to complete the one-shot victory over Thomas and Jon Rahm.
"I think it's just validation of all the hard work," Cantlay said about the best part of winning. "I put in a lot of work and try to do the right things all the time, so when it all does come together, it's really rewarding because it's all that hard work paying off."
Cantlay previously won the 2017 Shriners Hospitals Open and the 2019 Memorial Tournament. He moves to No. 9 in the world rankings and is now second in the 2020-21 FedEx Cup standings.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard finished:
| Place | Player | To Par | R4 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Cantlay | -23 | 65 |
| T2 | Jon Rahm | -22 | 68 |
| T2 | Justin Thomas | -22 | 69 |
| T4 | Russell Henley | -19 | 66 |
| T4 | Cameron Smith | -19 | 67 |
| T4 | Bubba Watson | -19 | 68 |
| T4 | Ryan Palmer | -19 | 69 |
Thomas was in control for most of the day but failed to birdie one of the three par 5s on the back nine. His 54-hole lead conversion rate falls to 8-for-14.
"To play the par 5s 1-under is just unacceptable if you're trying to win a golf tournament," Thomas said. "I fought like hell, I fought as hard as I could, I just didn't have my best stuff."
Rahm was also in the mix in what appeared to be a two-horse race until back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13 dropped him out of the top spot. He missed a slippery 19-footer on 18 for a birdie that would have forced a playoff with Cantlay.
Tiger Woods struggled yet again at a venue he once dominated. The five-time winner at Sherwood posted 74 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 72nd in what may be his final start before he attempts to defend his title at the Masters.
"I'll make the decision soon," Tiger said about whether he'll play the Houston Open, which is the week before Augusta. "I'm not going to wait around on that decision and commit either way, one way or the other."
Phil Mickelson, who played alongside Woods on Sunday, shot 78 to finish ahead of only one player in the 77-man field.
The PGA Tour heads to Bermuda next week for the aptly named Bermuda Championship. It will mark the first tournament with fans in attendance since The Players was canceled in March.