Golf roundup: Wesley Bryan shoots final-round 67 to win RBC Heritage

Wesley Bryan remembers pestering players with a lot of crazy questions at Harbour Town Golf Links as he followed father George III’s only appearance at the RBC Heritage in 2004.

“I was probably the most annoying 14-year-old there was,” Bryan said.

Once a pesky teen, Bryan’s now a PGA Tour winner after he rallied from four-shots down Sunday to win his home state tournament, closing with a four-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Luke Donald.

Bryan, a South Carolina native who played college golf for the Gamecocks, moved into contention with four consecutive birdies on the front nine. He took the lead with a birdie on the 15th hole and finished at 13-under 271.

Bryan earned $1.17 million, a tour exemption through the 2018-19 season and a spot in the 2018 Masters.

While excited about the breakthrough victory, Bryan believes it’s just a stepping stone to bigger dreams he’s had since playing the game as a child.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really change anything other than I now have one PGA Tour victory,” he said. “There are a lot of guys that have just one PGA Tour victory. My one goal is to get number two at this point.”

Donald shot 68 in his latest close call at Harbour Town Golf Links — it was his fifth second-place finish here since 2009.

The 27-year-old Bryan tapped in for par on the closing, 18th lighthouse hole to make the former trick-shot artist the first South Carolinian to win the state’s lone PGA Tour event.

Ollie Schniederjans, Patrick Cantlay and William McGirt tied for third, two strokes behind Bryan. Schniederjans shot 68, Cantlay 67 and McGirt 69.

Just like last week at the Masters, Matt Kuchar used a Sunday run to make a move up the leaderboard.

Kuchar had a five-under 67 in the final round at Augusta National to finish fourth after starting the day six shots behind. At Harbour Town, Kuchar shot a 64 — the day’s best round — to improve 52 spots and tie for 11th.

Ames claims first PGA Tour Champions win

Stephen Ames won the Mitsubishi Electric Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions victory, easily holding off Bernhard Langer at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga.

The 52-year-old Ames, a naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad, closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory over Langer. Ames opened with rounds of 67 and 68 to take a one-stroke lead over five players into the final round.

Making his 49th senior start, Ames had six birdies in his bogey-free round to finish at 15-under 201. He won for the first time since taking the 2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic for the last of his four PGA Tour titles.

Langer, a 30-time winner on the tour, had a 65 to jump from a tie for 21st. Fred Funk (66), David Frost (68) and Brandt Jobe (70) tied for third at 10 under, and 2016 winner Woody Austin (68) and Kevin Sutherland (71) followed at nine under.

Molinari wins Trophee Hassan II title

Edoardo Molinari won the Trophee Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco, beating Paul Dunne on the first hole of a playoff for his first European Tour title in seven years.

Molinari sank a two-foot par putt after Dunne had missed his putt for par, securing victory for the Italian after a five-under 68 saw him join Dunne at the top of the leaderboard.

Molinari, a former Ryder Cup player, last won on the tour at the Johnnie Walker Championship in 2010.

Dunne held the overnight lead and was seeking his maiden title as a professional. He closed with a one-under 72. Molinari eagled No. 18, one of two eagles for him on the back nine, to go to nine under. Dunne made birdie on the last to force the playoff.