RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Moments after 18-year-old Blaze Brown collapsed on the primary gap, Ricky Castillo made back-to-back birdies to complete with a 5-under 67 and win his first Puerto Rico Open.
Brown, aiming to develop into the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 95 years, fell from a bunker into the water with six holes left and one stroke behind, making a triple bogey.
Castillo, taking part in within the remaining group behind Brown, sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the thirteenth, then made a wonderful throw over the mound to five ft for birdie on the par-4 14th.
Castillo narrowly missed out on qualifying for this week’s $20 million signature occasion at Bay Hill by 11 factors within the FedEx Cup standings. He headed to Puerto Rico and performed the ultimate spherical at Grand Reserve with no bogey, clinching his first main victory as an expert.
This win permits him to compete within the PGA Championship. He had already certified for subsequent week’s The Gamers Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
“I am actually joyful to have the ability to win this match for the primary time,” Castillo stated. “I wished to be at Bay Hill, I made a decision to come back out right here and play, and we ended up profitable, so all the pieces labored out ultimately. Yeah, it was a surreal week.”
He completed at 17-under 271, one stroke forward of Chandler Blanchett, who birdied the ultimate gap and shot a 67.
Brown, who turned professional final 12 months and did not graduate from highschool till January, birdied the ultimate gap and shot a 69 to complete alone in third place and earn his first high 10 on the PGA Tour.
But it surely was the 455-yard thirteenth gap that gained Brown. It was much like the American Categorical in January when Brown performed within the remaining group with Scottie Scheffler. He hit his tee shot into the water on the fifth gap for a double bogey and was quickly out of attain of one of the best gamers in golf.
This time I hit a fairway bunker and the method to the inexperienced with water all the way in which to the appropriate drifted extensive to the appropriate. He took the drop, however was too aggressive along with his wedge and the ball spilled onto the inexperienced. He chipped to 7 ft, missed the putt and suffered a triple bogey.
Brown was one stroke behind the thirteenth, however by the point he completed the 14th he was 4 strokes behind.
John Daly II (22), son of two-time main champion John Daly, began with a three-stroke lead and shot 34 on the entrance 9. Nevertheless, he rapidly fell behind with 5 bogeys within the first seven holes on the again 9, and shot a 74.
“I realized that you must put 4 rounds collectively, and that’s not simple right here,” Daly stated. “However I am very joyful and I am not offended in any respect. It is simply been an ideal day, an ideal week.”
He returns to Arkansas with an eye fixed on profitable an NCAA title.
Brown certified for his first top-10 look on the Valspar Championship in Innisbrook. He had already acquired a sponsorship exemption for the occasion.
