BLAINE, Minn.– Lee Hodges seldom obtains rattled, other than possibly throughout Alabama football video games when he’s favoring his cherished Crimson Trend.
After making use of that imperturbable temperament to maintain control of the 3M Open, Hodges ultimately unleashed.
Hodges fired a 67 in the last round on Sunday for a wire-to-wire title at the 3M Open and also his initial trip triumph, establishing competition documents with a 260 and also a seven-stroke win.
“The process I went through, I’ll take this week forever,” Hodges stated. “I’ll just try to keep replicating this week every time I show up to a tournament.”
Hodges, that began the day with a five-stroke lead on J.T. Poston, was up by 3 going into the par-5 last opening on his 65th occupation begin. After Poston’s go-for-broke technique generated a three-way bogey, Hodges touched in a brief putt for his 3rd birdie of the round.
“I had to try and give it a shot and see if there was some way I could make 3 there at the end and put some pressure on Lee,” Poston stated.
Lee, a 28-year-old Alabama local, embraced and also lifted his other half, Savannah, in event after she rushed bent on the environment-friendly to welcome him. After That Jay Seawell, Hodges’ university train at Alabama, stunned him with an unique look and also a milkshake or smoothie in hand. Okay for a man from the village of Ardmore.
“I’m super proud to be from there and represent those people,” Hodges stated. “Man, I’m sure there is a party going on in north Alabama right now.”
Poston fired a 69 to go down right into a three-way connection for 2nd area with Martin Laird and also Kevin Streelman. Dylan Wu fired a 64 to match Keith Mitchell for 5th at 16 under.
Tony Finau, the safeguarding champ and also highest-ranked gamer at 10th in the FedEx Mug standings joining this area, fired a 70 to land in a three-way connection for 7th.
Hodges fired a 63 on Thursday, a 64 on Friday and also a 66 on Saturday to take a powerful lead right into the last round at the TPC Double Cities program in Blaine on a previous turf ranch in rural Minneapolis. He had 2 eagles and also 2 bogeys on Sunday, adhering to a hostile technique.
With one previous top-three coating in 2022 at The American Express in La Quinta, The golden state, Hodges stated Saturday he could not remember a five-shot lead in his whole occupation, amateur competitors consisted of, and also really felt as if he was “playing with house money” with his position on the trip following period protected.
“Last night, me and my wife, we ate dinner here, and then we went to get some ice cream, and I slept like a baby,” Hodges stated.
Getting in the week in 74th area in the FedEx Mug standings, Hodges rose to 33rd with the $1.4 million reward for the win. He came to be the 23rd third-round leader or co-leader to win on trip this period, adhering to Brian Harman recently at the British Open.
Poston went into the week in 60th area in the FedEx Mug standings and also skyrocketed to 38th.
Hodges established the 54-hole competition document at 193, 2 strokes far better than ball game Scott Piercy took right into the last round in 2015. Piercy continued to fire a 76, consisting of a three-way bogey on No. 14, and also waste a five-stroke lead with 11 openings to go. Finau fired a 67 and also won the prize by 3 strokes.
Hodges prevented that destiny. His lead was reduced from 6 to 4 when he three-putted the 15th opening and also Poston, his final-round having fun companion, slapped his 2nd shot from the fairway to the environment-friendly regarding 7 feet from the mug for his 4th birdie of the mid-day. Yet Hodges jumped right back to match Poston’s birdie on 16.
“He played great all day. We knew it was going to take something pretty special to pull it off,” Poston stated.
Poston’s 2nd shot from the harsh on the side of the water glimpsed off the rocks on the keeping wall surface and also backfired in reverse off the drifting competition logo design prior to a sprinkle that cost him a fine stroke. His 5th shot rolled down the incline on the front of the environment-friendly, and also he overshot his initial putt.
Sweetheart Hossler provided his postseason bid a bump with a blistering 62 in the last round to link the program document and also coating at 13 under for the competition, connected for 13th area. Piercy, Bryson DeChambeau, Lucas Glover and also champion Matthew Wolff each fired a 62 throughout the inaugural occasion in 2019.
The 28-year-old Hossler went into the week in 62nd position on the FedEx Mug standings. The leading 70 gamers get the three-stage playoff occasion that starts Aug. 10 with the St. Jude Champion. There’s another quit on the trip following weekend break at the Wyndham Champion in Greensboro, North Carolina, to go up– or move down.
Hossler made 8 straight birdies from openings 9 with 16, one except the PGA Trip document. That consisted of a 45-foot putt he holed on his 2nd shot on No. 13 that, he stated, had “no business” entering.
