WASHINGTON (AFP) – Bryson DeChambeau held off overnight leader Matthew Wolff down the stretch Sunday, firing a final-round 65 to capture the Rocket Mortgage Classic by three strokes.
DeChambeau continued his storybook start to the pandemic-stunted season, finishing the week at 23-under 265 to claim his sixth career win on the USPGA Tour.
He quickly erased Wolff’s three-shot lead to start the day but needed three straight closing birdies to seal the victory in a thrilling back-nine duel.
“I played really well on front nine and struck it beautifully,” said DeChambeau. “On the back nine I got a little tight. I didn’t hit driver the way I wanted to.”
“I got a little unlucky on 14 going into water but I was able to persevere and do my best to make three birdies coming in to win.”
The 21-year-old Wolff, who was trying to become the youngest two-time winner on the Tour since Tiger Woods in 1996, birdied four of his final seven holes to shoot a 71.
DeChambeau has been the story of the USPGA Tour’s restart and was the favourite coming into this event. He now has a streak of seven consecutive top-10 finishes thanks in large part to his bulked-up body which allowed him to overpower the Detroit Golf Club course.
Sunday’s win was his first since 2018 as he dominated the Michigan fairways with an average driving distance of 350 yards.
Wolff finished alone in second at 20-under 268 and Kevin Kisner was two shots back in third after a 66.
Canada’s Adam Hadwin, American Ryan Armour, and Danny Willett and Tyrrell Hatton, both of England, were tied for fourth at 16-under, seven strokes behind DeChambeau.
World No. 10 DeChambeau and Wolff chose to come to the Motor City while many of the PGA Tour’s top players skipped the event.
In the PGA Tour’s first three events after the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the season, the top five players in the world ranking participated in each tournament.
None of the top five competed at the Detroit Golf Club and the field included just 18 of the top 50.
But that doesn’t take anything away from the power display that DeChambeau put on Sunday. He rolled in four birdies on the front nine then drained a 35-foot putt on the tenth to get to 21-under and a big lead.
He made another lengthy putt on 16 for the first of three consecutive birdies.
