Xander Schauffele tied the Plantation course record at Kapalua, Hawaii, with an 11-under 62 on Sunday, and he needed every shot to beat Gary Woodland and win the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Schauffele started the final round five shots out of the lead and opened with a bogey. His fortunes turned quickly, and it got better with every hole. He ran off three straight birdies. He chipped in from the front of the green on the par-5 ninth for eagle. He holed a wedge from 107 yards for another eagle on No. 12. He took his first lead with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, both times coming close to chipping in for eagle.
Tied with Woodland over the closing holes, Schauffele finished birdie-birdie and won by a stroke.
"It was a crazy day," Schauffele said after his fourth career PGA Tour victory, and second in two starts this season. "I didn't do much leaderboard watching. I knew it was going to be a birdiefest at the end. We kept our head down and made a run for it."
Woodland, started with a three-stroke lead, closed with a 68 and was the only player in the field who was in the 60s every day.
"This one will sting," he said.
Woodland had a chance to force a playoff, but he missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.
Schauffele was in the group ahead of him, and Woodland could see as the 25-year-old Californian went after the left flag on the tough 17th hole to just inside 10 feet for the first birdie there of the final round. Woodland hit his approach to just inside 12 feet, and made the second birdie of the day to tie for the lead.
