Kodaira rallies to win 3-hole playoff at Harbour Town
Early on, Satoshi Kodaira was thinking only of playing well enough Sunday to make it to next week’s PGA Tour stop.
Those worries are over for the 28-year-old from Japan, who rallied from six shots behind to win the RBC Heritage in a playoff and gain an invitation to join the tour as a regular.
Kodaira defeated Si Woo Kim on the third playoff hole, rolling in a 25-foot birdie on the par-3 17th hole, then punching his fist in celebration. It ended a drama-filled final round in which it appeared that Kim, Ian Poulter and Luke List had the lock on the title at different points.
Bryson DeChambeau (66) and List (72) were tied for third. Third-round leader Poulter’s bid for a second tour title in three weeks ended with a 75 and a tie for seventh.
Henderson is LPGA winner: Brooke Henderson closed with a 3-under 69 in blustery conditions at Ko Olina for a four-shot victory late Saturday in the Lotte Championship. With her sixth career victory, the 20-year-year-old Henderson moved within two victories of Sandra Post’s record for most LPGA Tour victories by a Canadian.
Henderson finished at 12-under 276. Azahara Munoz of Spain had the low score of the final round, a 67, and enabled her to finish alone in second.
Shanshan Feng (71), Inbee Park (62) and Ariya Jutanugarn (69) tied for third. Michelle Wie, who was born and raised in Hawaii, shot 71 and tied for 11th.