C.T. Pan took advantage of top-ranked Dustin Johnson's back-nine meltdown Sunday to win the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C., for his first PGA Tour victory.
Along with winning $1.242 million, the 27-year-old Taiwanese player became exempt on tour through 2020-21, moved in line to make the President's Cup International team this year and will have an opportunity he's dreamed about since taking up the game in the mid-1990s — playing at Augusta National.
"It's still really hard for me to believe," he said. "I'm processing. … I'm so happy I finally got it done."
Pan shot a 4-under 67 to finish at 12-under 272, a stroke ahead of Matt Kuchar and two in front of Patrick Cantlay, Scott Piercy and Shane Lowry. Kuchar had a 67, Cantlay and Piercy had 69s and Lowry a 70.
The top-ranked Johnson, the third-round leader in his home-state event, shot a 77 and tied for 28th at 4 under. He played a five-hole stretch in 7 over, making bogeys on Nos. 11-13 and double bogeys on Nos. 14-15.
LPGA
Brooke Henderson successfully defended her title in the Lotte Championship on Saturday in Kapolei, Hawaii, and tied Sandra Post's record for LPGA Tour victories by a Canadian with eight.
Henderson, 21, closed with a 2-under 70 for a four-stroke victory over Eun-Hee Ji.
"Coming back this year it's been on the back of my mind every week that I tee it up," Henderson said of Post's record. "I'm just really happy that I have finally done it."