Little-known PGA Tour winner doubles career earnings in a week
Two years after Max Homa played only one final round in an entire PGA Tour season, he showed his mettle at Quail Hollow by closing with a four-under 67 to pull away from the field and win the Wells Fargo Championship.
Homa, who started the day in a shared of the lead, began the back nine with two birdies to build a four-shot lead and didn't make any mistakes until it only affected the final margin.
Overnight co-leader Joel Dahmen saved par with a tough chip over the creek on the 18th for a 70 to finish alone in second, three shots back.
Homa won for the first time in his 68th start as a pro and the victory gets him a two-year exemption, a spot at the PGA Championship in two weeks at Bethpage Black and the Masters next April.
The 28-year-old Californian was at No.829 in the world when he got his third crack at the PGA Tour in October, but he made six of seven cuts coming into the week in Charlotte and played like he belonged.
Homa wrapped it up with a three-metre par putt to finish at 15-under 269.
"Over the moon, man," he said before going to sign his card.
"It means a lot to do it under pressure and job security is great. I haven't had that."
The victory was worth $US1,422,000 ($A2.08m) – about $US454,000 ($A650,000) more than he had made in his previous 67 starts.
Dahmen held his own until costly bogeys around the turn, but that chip and par on the 18th meant a difference of $158,000 ($A225,000).
"I didn't beat myself today, which was kind of the goal," Dahmen said.
Justin Rose (68) finished alone in third and moved ahead of Brooks Koepka to world No.2.
Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler (both 68), Paul Casey (69) and third-round co-leader Jason Dufner (73) tied for fourth while two-time tournament winner Rory McIlroy (73) struggled in the final round to finish in a share of eighth.
Defending champion Jason Day carded a two-under 69 on Sunday to get to four-under and a share of 24th to finish best of the Australians, ahead of Matt Jones (71, one under) and John Senden (76, two over).
AP