Aldrich Potgieter started the day with a two-shot lead and fired six birdies and three bogeys for a 3-under 69 to reach 22-under and enter a playoff for the Rocket Classic title.
Americans Max Greyserman and Chris Kirk both carded 67s to join the playoff. Greyserman stayed bogey-free while Kirk made one bogey and six birdies.
Kirk was eliminated after the second extra hole when he bogeyed the par-3 15th, Greyserman and Potgieter parred the 18th, 15th and 16th and birdied the 14th.
Finally Potgieter birdied the par-3 15th with a 17-foot, 10-inch putt to win his maiden PGA Tour title and become the seventh-youngest winner since the start of the 1983 season.
“It was a big grind. I mean, it was a very long day, kind of couldn’t get ahead of myself. I didn’t get off to the best start, so I knew there was a lot of holes still available, still to get back,” said Potgieter.
“There was a switch that kind of went off when I lost the lead and I kind of felt like I can kind of chase something. I kind of had to pull myself out of the environment I was in before those first couple holes and get in that chase mode where I can kind of play some different golf, golf that I played the first three days.
“When that went off, I birdied the par 5 on 7, birdied 8, had a really good look on 9, so I felt the momentum switch there definitely.
“It was definitely hard playing all those playoff holes where putts weren’t dropping where I had really good looks at it. It was nice to finish on a really good putt on the par-3 to get the victory, so that was good.”
The South African is the third winner under the age of 21 since the start of the 2020-21 season (Nick Dunlap/2024 American Express, 2024 Barracuda Championship; Tom Kim/2022 Wyndham Championship, 2022 Shriners Children’s Open).
He improves to 1-for-2 in converting a 54-hole lead/co-lead into victory on Tour (2025 Mexico Open at VidantaWorld/P2). 54-hole leaders/co-leaders have won 16 of 28 stroke-play events this season.
This was the longest playoff on Tour since the 2021 BMW Championship (Patrick Cantlay defeated Bryson DeChambeau after six holes.
Greyserman recorded a fourth runner-up finish in 47 start on Tour (2024 3M Open, 2024 Wyndham Championship, 2024 Baycurrent Classic, 2025 Rocket Classic).
American Michael Thorbjornsen fired eight birdies and three bogeys for a 67 and a share of fourth place at 21-under. alongside compatriot Jake Knapp who made six birdies and two bogeys to close with a 68.
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