Jason Kokrak celebrates after winning at Shadow Creek

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — In his 10th season, in his 233rd

tournament, Jason Kokrak can finally call himself a PGA Tour winner.

Kokrak earned every bit of it Sunday in the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek.

He matched the best round of the tournament with an 8-under 64 to

overcome a three-shot deficit at the start and win a duel on the back

nine with Xander Schauffele. “Couldn't be happier," said Kokrak.

The timing couldn't be better. The CJ Cup moved from South Korea this

year to Shadow Creek because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kokrak is

an ambassador for MGM Resorts, which owns the prestigious Tom Fazio

design.

“It feels like home,” Kokrak said. “I've played this golf course enough

that I should know it by now.” Kokrak began to pull away with four

straight birdies on the front nine, and birdie putts from 20 feet and

18 feet to start the back nine stretched his lead to two shots.

Schauffele answered with three straight birdies, the last one a 45-footer

by using his putter from the thick collar of the 13th green to catch him.

Then, it was a matter of who blinked first.

That turned out to be Schauffele on the par-5 16th, when he only

managed to advance his shot from deep rough left of the fairway

some 85 yards into more rough. Swinging with all his might, his

third shot peeled off to the right into more rough well below the

green, and he made his only bogey in his round of 66.

Kokrak also was in the left rough, hacked out to the right rough and

put his third shot in the bunker. But he splashed it out to just inside

4 feet and made par for a one-shot lead, and Schauffele couldn't

catch up.

Martin Laird reacts after draining the winning putt in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — Martin Laird had a chance to win in regulation, but made

bogey on the 18th hole on Sunday to become the third-wheel in a sudden

death playoff. Redemption came with making a 20-foot birdie putt on the

second extra hole Sunday to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

It was seven years without a victory for Laird, and in a season of the most

bizarre kind, the 37 year old journeyman from Scotland now finds himself

with new life and a kickstart to his career (after receiving a sponsor exemption

just to get in the field in Las Vegas). After a miraculous par save on the 17th,

he squandered the lead with a poor approach and chip on the 72nd hole. His

3 under par 68 put him at 23 under par tied with Matthew Wolff and

Austin Cook.

All three players made par on the first hole of the playoff, before Laird

drained the winner on 17. At 358th in the world entering the Shriners,

Laird now has a two-year exemption and a full schedule of Majors on

his itinerary.

54 hole leader Patrick Cantlay faltered early and never found his form,

closing with a final round 73.

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Sergio Garcia celebrates after his first PGA Tour win since 2017.

Jackson, Mississippi - Sergio Garcia hadn't won on the PGA Tour since

capturing his first major championship at the Masters three years ago.

In 2020, he failed to make the FedEx Cup playoffs and fell out of the

top 50 in the world for the first time since 2011. His first visit to the

Country Club of Jackson for the Sanderson Farms Championship changed

everything.

Garcia took the lead after his flawless 5-wood approach from 260 yards

out on the par 5 fourteenth set up an eagle putt from just inside 4 feet

to tie for the lead. He sealed the deal with an 8-iron to two feet for birdie

on 482 yard eighteenth for a final round 67 (-19) and a one-stroke victory.

Afterwards Sergio was emotional, revealing that he had lost two uncles

recently to Covid-19, and that this one was for his Dad, “The perfect ending

for an amazing week,” Garcia said.

Peter Malnati, who won the event in 2015, fired a final round 63 to finish

solo second at 18 under par.

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html