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Davis outlasts field to win his second Rocket Mortgage title

golf30 June 2024 22:43| © Reuters
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Australia's Cam Davis shot a final-round 2-under-par 70 to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic after Akshay Bhatia three-putted on the final hole to miss out on a playoff in Detroit on Sunday.

Davis, who had back-to-back 66s in the two previous rounds, was warming up for a potential playoff when he became a winner on the PGA Tour for the second time. His other victory came in this tournament three years ago.

Davis had birdied the 17th hole to pull even with Bhatia and had to wait to learn his fate. He finished at 18-under 270 at Detroit Golf Club's North Course, where low scores were difficult to come by Sunday after several days of more ideal scoring conditions.

Bhatia, who held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, shot 72. He tied with Davis Thompson (68), Australia's Min Woo Lee (69) and England's Aaron Rai (72) at 17 under.

Rai, who was in the final pairing with Bhatia, had a chance to join the leaders on the last hole, but he was hurt by pushing his drive into the rough. His next shot ended up in the greenside bunker and he ended up with par.

Bhatia endured his first bogey of the tournament with a 5 on the par-4 third hole. He rolled in a 32-foot birdie putt on the next hole.

Later, Bhatia's mishit off the 13th tee into the trees resulted in a 97-yard drive, but he saved par with a 4.

Bhatia, a 22-year-old from North Carolina, was aiming to win for the second time this year and the third time in his career.

Lee chipped in from the fringe for a birdie on the 15th as part of three birdies in four holes that lifted him into a share of the lead. But he bogeyed No 18, and will regret the double-bogey 7 he made on the seventh hole.

Rai was the co-leader with Bhatia after both the second and third rounds, but he faded in pursuit of his first victory on the PGA Tour after briefly holding the solo lead.

Rai, who had been so flawless most of the tournament, ended up with three bogeys in a six-hole stretch, so he went to the 12th hole looking to just stay in contention.

Rico Hoey of the Philippines (67) joined Eric Cole (69), Cameron Young (73) and South Africa's Erik van Rooyen (72) in a sixth-place tie at 15 under.

FINAL ROUND SCORES:

270 - Cam Davis (AUS) 68-66-66-70

271 - Davis Thompson 68-69-66-68, Min Woo Lee (AUS) 68-68-66-69, Aaron Rai (ENG) 66-65-68-72, Akshay Bhatia 64-67-68-72

273 - Rico Hoey (PHI) 69-69-68-67, Eric Cole 66-68-70-69, Erik van Rooyen (RSA) 69-64-68-72, Cameron Young 67-66-67-73

274 - Taylor Moore 68-71-66-69, JJ Spaun 67-69-69-69, Dylan Wu 69-68-68-69, Hayden Springer 71-65-68-70, Nick Dunlap 67-69-67-71, a-Luke Clanton 69-68-65-72, Sam Stevens 69-66-66-73

276 - David Skinns (ENG) 71-66-67-72, Troy Merritt 69-64-70-73, Ben Silverman (CAN) 67-70-67-72

277 - Carl Yuan (CHN) 68-71-69-69, Andrew Novak 71-66-70-70, Patton Kizzire 69-69-69-70, Ben Kohles 67-70-70-70, Neal Shipley 67-68-70-72

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