IVINS, Utah – Matt McCarty started the year on the Korn Ferry Tour and now is headed to the Masters, winning his first PGA Tour title Sunday at the Black Desert Championship with a 4-under 67 and one swing that all but sealed it.
McCarty won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour to earn an instant promotion in August. In his third start on the PGA Tour, he made winning look just as easy. Staked to a two-shot lead going into the final round, he never trailed at Black Desert Resort and won by three shots.
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Stephan Jaeger closed within one shot with birdies on the 14th and 15th. McCarty effectively ended any threat with a 3-wood on the 310-yard 14th that was close to perfect, bounding onto the green and settling 3 1/2 feet from the cup for an eagle.
The victory means the 26-year-old left-hander from Arizona is assured of being in three of the majors next year. He gets into the Masters and PGA Championship with his PGA Tour title, and McCarty already earned a spot in the U.S. Open by leading the Korn Ferry Tour points list.
McCarty becomes the first player since Jason Gore to win three times on the developmental tour to earn an instant promotion and then win on the PGA Tour in the same season. He finished at 23-under 261 and earned $1.35 million.
“I don't know how you can expect this,” McCarty said. “It's just a lot of fun. I've been working really hard. This year was great for me. To get out here a little early, to get some experience was great and obviously this now.
“It's just been a crazy last few months for me.”
McCarty didn't face much stress — he can attribute that to some beautiful lag putting — except for that one brief moment when Jaeger made a late move.
All the potential challengers went the other direction for much of the sunny day in southwestern Utah, the Beehive State's first time hosting a PGA Tour event in 61 years.
Joe Highsmith, playing in the final group, made double bogey on the opening hole. Harris English had three bogeys on the front nine that offset three birdies and kept him from making a move. Jaeger, who went toe-to-toe with Scottie Scheffler to win the Houston Open in March, managed only one birdie on the front nine.
McCarty motored along, leading by three, not dropping a shot until a three-putt from 55 feet from below a ridge on the 12th hole. And then when Jaeger holed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 13th and drove the 14th green for a two-putt birdie to close within one, McCarty answered.
He hit a draw with his 3-wood, stared it down and said, “Turn!” That it did, landing short of the green and slowing into the grain to nearly tap-in range. Jaeger, two groups ahead of him, had three straight birdie putts burn the edge of the cup.
Jaeger closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th for a 68 to finish alone in second.
“I gave myself a shot,” Jaeger said. “I didn’t drive it well enough to give myself shorter clubs in and ample opportunity for birdie. But sometimes you have that. I made some nice putts coming in, so I’m happy with that.”
Lucas Glover shot 62 and tied for third with Kevin Streelman, who had a big opportunity even without having a serious chance to win. The FedEx Cup Fall is largely about players finishing in the top 125 to keep full PGA Tour cards for 2025.
Streelman came in at No. 177, and every shot mattered. He angrily slapped his thigh when he missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, and then he watched his wedge hit the pin on the par-3 17th and bound off the green. He managed to save par, and he birdied the 18th for a 69.
That moved him to No. 138, getting him a little closer to 125th with at least four more tournaments left in the fall.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf