LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Padraig Harrington closed with a 5-under 67 and held on for a two-shot victory Sunday within the Simmons Financial institution Championship, his third title this yr on the PGA Tour Champions.
Harrington acquired in entrance early and most of his challengers light earlier than an enormous crowd at Nice Valley Nation Membership. Y.E. Yang made 10 birdies in his closing spherical of 65 and pulled inside one shot when Harrington made his lone bogey on the 14th gap.
However the Irishman held regular with three straight pars, after which hammered a drive down the 18th fairway that left him a protracted iron to the inexperienced and two putts for a ultimate birdie.
“It is a good solution to end,” Harrington stated. “It provides me some confidence, and I actually did not give anybody else an opportunity.”
The event decided the highest 36 who qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in two weeks in Phoenix, and that is the place the drama came about.
Cameron Percy of Australia, who solely turned eligible for the 50-and-older circuit in Could, was 7 below by means of 14 holes within the ultimate spherical till three straight bogeys down the stretch moved him again outdoors the highest 36.
It was so shut that it took Miguel Angel Jiménez lacking a 10-foot par putt on the final gap to fall out of a three-way tie for fifth involving Percy. The additional cash from a two-way tie moved Percy to thirty sixth within the Schwab Cup standings to increase his season.
Jason Caron had the largest comfort prize. He performed two full seasons on the PGA Tour and left the tour in 2011. Now the top professional at Mill River Membership in New York, he posted three high 5s this yr — together with the Senior PGA Championship — and final week narrowly moved into the highest 36 for the Arkansas event.
Caron shot 68 and tied for third with Hiroyuki Fujita to maneuver from No. 53 to No. 35 within the Schwab Cup. His place was safe solely after Fujita missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th.
Fujita joined Caron and Percy shifting into the highest 36, bumping out Mike Weir, David Bransdon and Scott Dunlap. High-ranked Ernie Els closed with a 65 and made up a seven-shot distinction on Steven Alker to maintain the No. 1 seed within the Schwab Cup.
Harrington, who completed at 17-under 199 and earned $365,000 moved from No. 11 to No. 4, giving him an affordable probability in Phoenix to win the Schwab Cup.
