Lee Hodges wins wire to wire at 3M Open for first PGA Tour title
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Lee Hodges of the United States watches his tee shot on the 11th tee during the final round of the 3M Open.
PHOTO: AFP
BLAINE, Minnesota – Lee Hodges made two eagles, shot a final-round 67 and completed a wire-to-wire win at the 3M Open on Sunday in Blaine, Minnesota.
“Elated. It’s just a dream week, the whole thing,” Hodges, 28, said.
He opened the week with rounds of 63 and 64 to leap ahead of the pack. He polished off a 24-under 260 for the week at TPC Twin Cities, winning by seven shots despite an unsteady bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie finish on Sunday.
He earned his first PGA Tour victory and jumped from No. 74 in the FedExCup points standings to No. 33, which would make him eligible for the first leg of the play-offs later in August.
“We’re as ready as we can be for the play-offs,” Hodges said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to do some special things in the play-offs now. Anytime you win, you set yourself up for some special stuff.”
When Hodges and J.T. Poston arrived at the 18th tee, Hodges was ahead of Poston by three shots. But Poston found the large water hazard and wound up with a triple bogey, while Hodges stuck his third shot 16 inches from the cup to set up the victorious tap-in birdie.
“I had to try and give it a shot and see if there was some way I could make three there at the end and put some pressure on Lee,” Poston said. “It was a shot that was going to be hard to pull off, but we weren’t playing for second place.”
Hodges did not make an eagle over his first three rounds, but he had no trouble scoring on two of TPC Twin Cities’ par-five holes Sunday. He sank an 11-foot putt for eagle at No. 6, then stuck his second shot at No. 12 inside three feet for an easy follow-up eagle.
Hodges was asked if he started to think about lifting the trophy when he made that eagle. “I’d say the first time I actually let myself think about winning was after I hit the third shot on 18,” he said.
“Other than that, I was just completely focused on what I was doing out there, which is probably why I played some nice golf. Probably should try and do that more.”
Scotland’s Martin Laird eagled the par-five 18th to fire a 64 and finish at 17 under, tied for second with Poston (69) and Kevin Streelman (66). Dylan Wu also posted a 64, tying for fifth with Keith Mitchell (67).
Defending champion Tony Finau had a final-round 70 and finished tied for seventh at 15 under with Sam Ryder (68) and Australian Aaron Baddeley (69).
In Wales, Germany’s Alex Cejka battled winds of up to 40mph to win the Senior Open Championship, beating Ireland’s Padraig Harrington after a two-hole, sudden death play-off. REUTERS, AFP
