DETROIT
\nAs a grueling playoff unfolded in the Rocket Classic, South Africa\u2019s Aldrich Potgieter was determined to have enough pace on what became the final putt Sunday.
\nPotgieter drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to secure his first PGA Tour victory by winning the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
\n\u201cStruggled to make putts. Left a lot short,\u201d Potgieter said. \u201cFinally got one to the hole.\u201d
\nPotgieter outlasted Max Greyserman in an extended playoff that began with three golfers. Chris Kirk\u2019s bogey on the second playoff hole cost him a chance and reduced the playoff to two golfers.
\nPotgieter, a big-hitting 20-year-old, began the tournament with a 62 on Thursday and ended up with the biggest prize. He is the youngest South African to win on tour.
\n\u201cBig thanks to my family, friends, coaches, everyone who has been involved to kind of get me to this point,\u201d Potgieter said.
\nThe trio of Potgieter, Greyserman and Kirk finished 72 holes at 22-under-par 266.
\n\u201cThis one is going to sting a little bit,\u201d Greyserman said.
\nPotgieter, who became the seventh-youngest PGA Tour winner since 1983, and Greyserman both had birdies on the par-5 14th hole \u2014 the fourth stop in the playoff \u2014 before Potgieter sank the winning putt on the par-3 15th hole.
\nKirk and Greyserman shot final-round 5-under-par 67s and Potgieter, who was the first- and third-round leader, had 69.
\nKirk had the best chance on the first playoff hole, but he was off the mark on a birdie putt of slightly more than 9 feet.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a shame that first playoff hole,\u201d Kirk said. \u201cHit just three perfect shots and I misread that putt a little bit. That\u2019s the way it goes sometimes.\u201d
\nGreyserman missed from 11 feet on the second extra hole before Kirk was eliminated with a three-putt bogey moments later.
\n\u201cJust really disappointed right now,\u201d Kirk said. \u201cFelt like I played great today. I\u2019m happy with the way I played.\u201d
\nGreyserman, ranked 48th in the world entering this week, remains without a PGA Tour victory. He has four runner-up finishes.
\n\u201cUnfortunately, I didn\u2019t get the job done,\u201d Greyserman said. \u201cThought I hit a lot of good shots down the stretch. Very pleased with how I handled myself down the stretch.\u201d
\nIt was a bogey-free round for Greyserman, who missed a birdie putt from just inside 12 feet on the final hole that would have given him the victory. He made birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to rise into a share of the lead.
\nExcept for a birdie on No. 17, Kirk posted par on seven of his last eight holes in regulation.
\nIt was a crowded leaderboard for the entire day.
\nMichael Thorbjornsen (67) and Jake Knapp (68) shared fourth place at 21 under. Jackson Suber (68) and Colombia\u2019s Nico Echavarria (66) tied for sixth at 20 under.
\nBy late afternoon, there were 26 golfers within three shots of the lead. After Potgieter and Greyserman made the turn as the final pairing, there were several fewer so close to the top, but still more than a dozen \u2014 with more than half of those golfers still on the course.
\nEchavarria played the final seven holes in 4 under to match his first-round 66.
\nHarry Higgs and Akshay Bhatia had 65s for the best scores of the last round, finishing at 16 under and 15 under, respectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DETROIT As a grueling playoff unfolded in the Rocket Classic, South Africa\u2019s Aldrich Potgieter was determined to have enough pace on what became the final putt Sunday. Potgieter drained an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to secure his first PGA Tour victory by winning the Rocket Classic at Detroit Golf Club. \u201cStruggled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-487718","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n