Patrick Cantlay Holds off Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm to Win 2020 Zozo Championship
October 26, 2020
As two of the top players in the world in Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm battled it out at the top of the leaderboard in the final round of the Zozo Championship on Sunday, 14th-ranked Patrick Cantlay quietly worked his way out of a tie for fourth place (-16) to take the lead and his third PGA Tour victory at Sherwood Country Club.
Thomas entered the final day of the Zozo Championship with a one-stroke lead over Rahm, with the third and second-ranked players in the world squaring off together in the final group. They stuck together through the front nine, entering the back half of the day tied at 22 under.
PGA TOUR @PGATOURThe back 9 on Sunday @ZOZOChamp: 1. @JustinThomas34, -22 (10) 1. @JonRahmPGA, -22 (10) 3. @Patrick_Cantlay, -20 (10) 4. @CoreConn, -19 (14) 5. @RussHenleyGolf, -18 (13) 5. Cameron Smith, -18 (12) 5. @Cameron__Champ, -18 (12) 5. @BubbaWatson, -18 (12) 5. @TheLanto61, -18 (10) https://t.co/8XucjA0Rzm
The 11th hole appeared to seal the deal for Rahm, the No. 2 player in the world, when he took the solo lead away from Thomas with a birdie. Cantlay also birdied the same hole to creep in closer on the pair at the top, and when Rahm had two subsequent bogeys, Cantlay emerged with a pair of birdies on Nos. 14 and 15.Ā His birdie on No. 15 was his ninth of the day,Ā tying his career bestĀ for birdies in a PGA Tour round. He finished the fourth round at seven under.Ā
RahmĀ inched back within one of Cantlay's lead with a birdie on No. 15.Ā He needed a birdie on the final hole to tie Cantlay and force a playoff, but his putt went wide right.
Elsewhere, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, who won the Zozo Championship last year, entered Sunday tied for 68th of 77 players and played together for the 38th time, with Mickelson tying Ernie Els for the most times playing alongside Woods. The pairing was their ninth together in the final round of a tournament but the first time that it would have no effect on the outcome, according to theĀ New York Post's Ted Holmlund.
There are two more PGA Tour eventsāthe Bermuda Championship and the Houston Openāahead of the Masters, which is scheduled for Nov. 12 to 15.Ā
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Prize PayoutsĀ (via Golf Digest)
Win: Patrick Cantlay, -23, $1,440,000
T-2: Justin Thomas, -22, $704,000
T-2: Jon Rahm, -22, $704,000
T-4: Russell Henley, -19, $315,000
T-4: Cameron Smith, -19, $315,000
T-4: Bubba Watson, -19, $315,000
T-4: Ryan Palmer, -19, $315,000
8: $248,000
9: $232,000
10: $216,000
11: $200,000
12: $184,000
13: $168,000
14: $152,000
15: $142,720
16: $134,080
17: $126,080
18: $118,080
19: $110,080
20: $102,080
For positions 21-78, click here.