Sainz secures Players Cup victory

Winnipeg, MB (Sports Network) – Carlos Sainz Jr. shot 4-under 68 on Sunday and won the Players Cup by a single stroke.

Sainz Jr. birdied four of his last six holes to finish at 17-under-par 271 and lock up his first PGA Tour Canada win.

Overnight leader Nathan Tyler carded a 71 and finished one shot back at 16- under when his 50-foot birdie putt at the last missed.

Mackenzie Hughes also shot 71 to end in a tie for third at 14-under with Kent Eger, who fired a 68 at Pine Ridge Golf Club.

Wil Collins, David Skinns and Brady Schnell carded matching 67s to share fifth place at minus-13.

Early in the final round, Sainz birdied two straight from the second to pull even with Tyler at 15-under, then took sole possession of the top spot when the latter bogeyed the fifth.

Tyler recovered with a birdie at the sixth and later reclaimed the lead when Sainz stumbled to bogeys at Nos. 9 and 11.

But Tyler opened the door with a double-bogey 6 at the 11th and Sainz walked through, reeling off four bogeys over a five-hole stretch from the 13th to take the lead at 17-under.

He parred the last to stay there, as Tyler clawed back within a shot courtesy of birdies at Nos. 13, 15 and 17.

Rain started falling as Tyler pursued a birdie at the par-4 last.

He was on the green in two, but needed to sink a 50-footer to force a playoff. When putt failed to drop, Sainz has his maiden win on the circuit.

NOTES: Sainz’s previous best career PGA Tour Canada finish came at the 2012 Tour Championship, where he tied for fourth … Entering this tournament, he had missed two cuts in three starts on the season … Tyler has made all four cuts in his rookie PGA Tour Canada season.

Categorized in: PGA