LA QUINTA, California (AP) ― Bill Haas pulled ahead with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th and parred the final two holes for a one-stroke victory Sunday in the Humana Challenge.
Haas closed with a 5-under 67 for his sixth PGA Tour title and first since the 2013 AT&T National. He won the 2010 event at PGA West for his first tour victory.
Haas was making his first start since November. He took the long break to rest his left wrist, fractured in April when he fell down stairs at Hilton Head.
Part of a six-man tie for the lead after a par save on the par-3 15th, Haas got to 22 under with the birdie putt on 16 on the Arnold Palmer Private Course.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton (left) and Bill Haas pose with the winner’s trophy on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap)
Haas two-putted for par from 20 feet on the par-5 18th after pulling off an awkward layup with his ball perched on the front lip of a right-side fairway bunker.
His father, Jay, won the 1998 tournament. Haas’ great uncle, 85-year-old Bob Goalby, watched the final holes. Goalby won the 1968 Masters.
Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman, Brendan Steele, Steve Wheatcroft and Park Sung-joon tied for second. Hoffman and Steele shot 64, and Park had a 65, and Kuchar and Wheatcroft shot 67. Kuchar had a two-stroke lead with four holes to play Saturday, but bogeyed three of the last four holes in the third round to fall a stroke back.
Haas eagled the par-5 sixth for a share of the lead, setting up his 15-foot putt with a 260-yard, 5-wood from the dormant left rough with the ball below his feet.
The 32-year-old former Wake Forest player birdied the par-4 eighth, punching a low, spinning wedge from 70 yards to 8 feet, and got to 21 under with a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 11th.
He made a key par save on the 131-yard 15th to keep a share of the lead. Short-sided in the left bunker, he blasted to 6 feet.
Mitsubishi Electric Championship
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) ― Miguel Angel Jimenez rallied to win the Champions Tour’s season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship, birdieing six of the final nine holes Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Mark O’Meara.
The Spaniard closed with a 6-under 66 for his second victory in three career starts on the 50-and-over tour.
He won the Greater Gwinnett Championship last year, a week after finishing fourth in the Masters. In May, he won the Spanish Open at 50 years, 133 days to break his own record as the oldest European Tour champion.
Jimenez finished at 17-under 199 at Hualalai Golf Club. After making two birdies and a double bogey on the front nine, he birdied Nos. 10, 11, 13-15 and 17 and closed with a two-putt par on 18.
In his other Champions Tour start, Jimenez tied for eighth in the Senior British Open in July.
O’Meara finished with a 64.
Fred Couples was third at 14 under, following his second-round 64 with a 66. Rocco Mediate, tied with Jimenez for the second-round lead, had a 70 to finish fourth at 13 under.
The 40-player field featured major champions from the last five years, other tournament winners in the last two seasons and sponsor invitees.
