'PO Final Champ' Cantlay "17.3 Billion Won Jackpot"..."10-Under Par Advantage Effect"

PGA Tour 'PO Round 3' Tour Championship Final Day Adds 1 Under Par for 1-Stroke Victory, Rahm 2nd, Im Sung-jae Tied 20th

Patrick Cantlay is cheering after becoming the 'Final PO Champion' on the final day of the Tour Championship. Atlanta, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "A $15 million (17.3 billion KRW) jackpot."

Top seed Patrick Cantlay (USA) emerged as the final champion of the PGA Tour Playoffs (PO). On the 6th (Korean time) at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia (par 70, 7,259 yards), Cantlay shot 1-under par on the final day of the 'PO 3rd round' Tour Championship to secure a one-stroke victory (21-under par). Over four days, he combined 11-under par with a 10-under par stroke bonus. Jon Rahm (Spain) finished second (20-under par).

Cantlay won the Zozo Championship last October, which was part of the 2021 season, the Memorial Tournament last June, and the 'PO 2nd round' BMW Championship (total prize money $9.5 million) that ended on the 30th of last month. This marks his second consecutive PO win, his fourth victory of the season, and his sixth career win. Notably, he secured the No. 1 seed after a fierce battle with 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) that extended to the sixth hole of a sudden-death playoff in the final round of the BMW Championship.

The PGA Tour introduced a new PO system in 2019, where after the 2nd round, the leader starts with a 10-under par advantage. The standings are as follows: 2nd place 8-under par, 3rd place 7-under par, 4th place 6-under par, 5th place 5-under par, 6th to 10th place 4-under par, 11th to 15th place 3-under par, 16th to 20th place 2-under par, 21st to 25th place 1-under par, and 26th to 30th place even par. Rahm, seeded 4th (6-under par), made an impressive 14-under par run, three strokes fewer than Cantlay, but ultimately settled for runner-up.

Yon Rahm is disappointed as his chip shot eagle on the 18th hole during the final day of the Tour Championship 'PO Final 3rd Round' just grazes the hole. Atlanta, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Rahm, in particular, surged with 5-under par from the first day, closing the gap to two strokes and creating an unexpectedly close competition. On the second day, he was one stroke behind, but Cantlay responded with a 3-under par on the third day to regain a two-stroke lead. That day, Cantlay recorded four birdies and three bogeys, with a notable birdie on the late 16th hole (par 4). Rahm finished the PO journey with 2-under par that day. The runner-up bonus was $5 million (5.8 billion KRW). Tony Finau, the champion of the 'PO 1st round' The Northern Trust, despite being the 2nd seed (8-under par), remained at even par and tied for 11th place (8-under par).

'Tokyo Olympics Gold' Xander Schauffele tied for 5th place (14-under par), and last year's winner Dustin Johnson (both USA) finished 8th (11-under par). For Korea, No. 12 seed Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) improved by two strokes to tie for 20th place (4-under par). Although he advanced to the 'PO 3rd round,' which only admits exactly 30 players for the third consecutive year, he fell short of his previous finishes of 19th in 2019 and 11th last year, leaving some regret. He recorded five birdies (three bogeys), setting a PGA Tour season record for most birdies (498), and earned $497,500 (600 million KRW).

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