NAPA, Calif. – Kevin Tway made a 10-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff Sunday to win the Safeway Open.
The son of eight-time PGA Tour winner Bob Tway, the 30-year-old former Oklahoma State University player beat Ryan Moore on the par-4 10th hole at Silverado Resort & Spa’s North Course after Brandt Snedeker dropped out on their first extra trip down the par-5 18th.
The first PGA Tour win of Kevin Tway’s career came in the 2018-19 season opener.
“It was nice to get hot at the end,” Tway said. “I wasn’t really in it on the front nine. Brandt made a couple bogeys starting the back. I was kind of right there, but kind of hanging around. Birdied 17, 18 to get into the playoff and then kept it going in the playoff – and here I am.”
Baylor School graduate Luke List tied for fourth place at 13-under-par 275 after he closed with a 5-under 67 and finished one stroke out of the playoff. His strong Sunday round included two bogeys but five birdies and an eagle on the 18th. Two of his birdies came in the final four holes.
List earned $241,280 and 104 points in the FedEx Cup standings for his result.
“Obviously, we all kind of knew the wind was going to be crazy warming up this morning,” List said. “There was debris flying everywhere. I was just anticipating a really tough day, and it was.”
Another former Red Raiders standout, Harris English, tied for 66th at par after closing with a 75.
After the wind died down in the late afternoon on the tree-lined layout, Tway birdied the final two holes in regulation for a 71, then birdied all three holes in the playoff.
“I was just trying to put the ball in the fairway, which was very difficult,” Tway said. “I knew the last few holes were a little bit easier, so tried to just keep making pars until then.”
Snedeker, three strokes ahead entering the day and five in front with 11 to play, had four back-nine bogeys in a 74.
“Really disappointing,” Snedeker said. “Played a really good front nine in tough conditions and made the turn on the back nine and actually drove the ball really well. Had a lot of opportunities, just hit some really poor iron shots, left myself in places you can’t do it. Didn’t make any putts.”
The nine-time PGA Tour tournament winner bogeyed the first three holes on the back nine, birdied the par-5 16th, bogeyed the par-4 17th and parred the 18th, missing from nine feet.
“I’m going to look at that one in a few years and know I gave that one away,” Snedeker said. “I had that in full control.”
Moore birdied three of the last four in a 67.
“I didn’t even expect to be in this position,” Moore said. “When I finished my round, I really didn’t think there was a chance of this. Golf is funny, and it can work its way out sometimes, so this was a bonus. I hit some good shots in the playoff, birdied a couple holes and today just wasn’t good enough.”
Tied with List were Aaron Baddeley (69), Sungjae Im (71)Troy Merritt (68) and Sam Ryder (69).
Phil Mickelson tied for 17th at 8 under after a closing 72.
“It was challenging but yet very playable conditions,” Mickelson said. “Actually, I played pretty good. I hit two balls out of bounds on the fifth hole trying to go for the green, but other than that, I played pretty well.”
Hatton halted
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard wrecked Tyrrell Hatton’s hopes of winning the Dunhill Links Championship for a third straight year when he shot a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory.
Bjerregaard started the day four strokes adrift of overnight leader Hatton, but he reeled in the European Ryder Cup player to finish with a 15-under 273 and win the European Tour event.
England’s Hatton (72) shared second place with Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood (69).
Hatton, who was attempting to become only the fifth player to win the same tournament in three straight seasons, was six shots clear with 12 holes to play but was undone by a poor back nine of 40.
He had a good opportunity to force a playoff but failed to hole a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th.