SILVIS, Ill. - J.T. Poston completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the John Deere Classic for his second PGA Tour career win and a spot in the British Open.
Three strokes ahead entering the day at TPC Deere Run, Poston closed with a 2-under-par 69 for a three-stroke margin over fellow British Open qualifiers Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa, who shot a 66, and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo (69).
Poston is just the third wire-to-wire winner in the tournament's history, following Scott Hoch in 1980 and David Frost in 1992. The 29-year-old former Western Carolina University player from Hickory, North Carolina, finished at 21-under 263. He opened 62-65-67.
"It's just tough to play with the lead," said Poston, whose first PGA Tour win was at the 2019 Wyndham Championship. "There is just a little bit of added pressure. Wire to wire, pretty much having the lead from Thursday on, I told all the media after every round that I was just trying to stick to my game plan and I wasn't going to think about it.
"The truth is it's hard not to think about the finish line and what comes with it, all that comes with getting a win out here."
Poston birdied the first three holes Sunday, bogeyed Nos. 5 and 6 and parred the next 10. He made a four-footer for birdie on the par-5 17th and parred the 18th to seal his win a week after tying for second in the Travelers Championship.
"I was just trying to breathe," Poston said. "I was really. I think there were a lot of nerves, a lot more than the first few days. I was just battling through them. I think after today, after this week, I feel like knowing I can play with those nerves and I can still win, still shoot a solid score considering the pressure and trying to win out here."
Poston made his major tournament debut at the 2017 U.S. Open and has played that event two times since, tying for 40th this year, and he also has three PGA Championship appearances and competed in the 2020 Masters. Now he'll play at the British Open for the first time, with the year's final major set for July 14-17 in Scotland at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
"I can't wait," Poston said. "I've always wanted to play in one of those at any venue, but first one to be in St. Andrews and the 150th, I can't wait to get there and see what it's like."
Grillo is back in the British Open for the sixth time and has finished in the top 15 twice, including a tie for 12th last year.
"I just knew I needed a solid week," Grillo said. "I just needed to play well and go up the rankings and have a job for next year. That was more important for me than going to the Open. Now I get both, so that's pretty special."
Christopher Gotterup, the former Rutgers player in the field on a sponsor exemption, had a 66 to tie for fourth at 17 under with Scott Stallings (70).
"Just more validation that I do belong out here," Gotterup said. "And honestly, I didn't have my greatest stuff this week. Hit it amazing, but just putted pretty poorly until coming down the stretch."
Chattanooga's Stephan Jaeger tied for 30th at 10 under, moving 24 spots up the leaderboard in the final round with a 66 that included birdies on three of four holes from the 14th to 17th - with a bogey on 16 - and an albatross on No. 2. The former Baylor School and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout hit his tee shot 361 yards to the left side fairway, leaving him 205 yards to the par-5 hole that he converted.
PA photo by Donall Farmer via AP / Adrian Meronk celebrates after winning the Irish Open at Mount Juliet Country Club on Sunday in Thomastown. The former East Tennessee State golfer is Poland's first player to win on the European circuit.ETSU alum breaks through for Poland
THOMASTOWN, Ireland - Adrian Meronk became Poland's first winner on the DP World Tour with a superb closing stretch at Mount Juliet Country Club for a 6-under 66 and a three-shot victory in the Irish Open.
Meronk was one shot behind New Zealand's Ryan Fox with four holes remaining when he went birdie-birdie-eagle to give himself room for error on the tough closing hole. He made par to finish at 20-under 268 and walked off the 18th green soaked in a champagne celebration.
"It's such a relief," said Meronk, a 29-year-old former East Tennessee State University standout. "After coming quite close a couple of times, to finally open the door, it's just a dream come true."
Fox closed with a 64, and he feared a bogey on the final hole might cost him in the end. Meronk played so well over the closing stretch that it didn't matter.
Meronk, Fox and third-place finisher Thriston Lawrence - the South African closed with a 67 and was one stroke behind Fox - already were exempt for the British Open. The three spots available from the Irish Open went to American player John Catlin (69), Scotland's David Law (67) and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti (70) after they tied for fourth at 15 under.
Meronk will be the first Polish player in the British Open when it starts in two weeks. That's a label he knows well. He already was the first Polish player in a U.S. Open last year, and the first to even earn a tour card on the European circuit.
And now he's the first winner.
"When I hit the green on 18 is the moment I realized, 'That's it,'" he said. "I'm just super happy."