Aussie golfer Cam Davis wins US event for second time in three years
Australian golf star Cam Davis has held his nerve to claim his second PGA Tour win with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Cam Davis hits from the fourth tee during the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic golf tournament at Detroit Country Club, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
An emotional Davis was reduced to tears after winning the tournament for the second time in three years with a final-round two-under-par 70.
American Akshay Bhatia had the chance to force a sudden-death playoff but three-putted the last hole in a Sunday 72.
The 29-year-old Davis prevailed with the same 18-under-par total he won with in a three-man playoff in 2021.
Chasing a maiden PGA Tour win, fellow Australian Min Woo Lee seized a share of the lead late with two electrifying chip-in birdies, only to bogey the last hole.
Lee had to settle for a share of second one shot back with Bhatia, fellow American Davis Thompson (68) and England’s Aaron Rai (72) at 17 under after closing with a 69.
Lee lamented three-putting from inside 10 feet en route to a double-bogey seven on the par-5 seventh hole and then over-clubbing his approach at the 18th while pressing hard for a seventh birdie of the day.
“I had a really good chance there, again. I needed to play aggressive,” he said.
“Unlucky with the bogey on the last, but I played really good, but there’s a lot of things that I need to work on to get it to the next level.
“But I’m very happy with the week.”
Bhatia had been bidding to join Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Tom Kim as only the sixth player in 40 years to win three times on tour before the age of 23.
Alas, his 72nd-hole slip-up was only his second bogey of the week.
