PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Nick Taylor had more trouble with the wind than he did with Phil Mickelson. The Canadian managed both just fine Sunday and won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his second career victory.
With the gallery eager to see Mickelson add a record sixth victory at Pebble Beach, Taylor showed plenty of moxie in building a five-shot lead at the turn and then holding on when 40 mph gusts blasted the Monterey Peninsula.
He closed with a 2-under 70 for a four-shot victory over Kevin Streelman (68). Mickelson, who closed within two shots with four holes to play, shot 74 and finished alone in third. He has won, been runner-up twice and finished third in his last four starts at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Taylor won in his fourth start as a PGA Tour rookie at the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, at the time an opposite-field event that didn’t feature any of the top players. He went 146 starts on the PGA Tour until his next victory, and it was a big one.
The victory gets him into the Masters for the first time, along with the PGA Championship up the coast at Harding Park in May. In his sixth year on tour, Taylor has played only two majors as a pro.
LPGA TOUR
MELBOURNE, Australia — Hee Young Park closed with a 1-over 73 and won a three-way playoff on the fourth hole to capture the ISPS Handa Vic Open for her first LPGA Tour victory in six years.
Park was so down on her game that she thought about quitting last year. Instead, she went through qualifying to earn her card and made the decision pay off by winning early in the season.
She won over So Yeon Ryu and Hye-Jin Choi in a final round at 13th Beach Golf Links marked by tough conditions and high scores. Ayean Choi had a one-shot lead over Madelene Sagstrom going into the final round. Both shot 81.
Park, Ryu (72) and Choi (69) finished at 8-under 281.
The tournament was sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour and the Australian Ladies Professional Golf. It was held on the same course as the men’s event, a separate competition with equal prize money.
EUROPEAN TOUR
MELBOURNE, Australia — Min Woo Lee of Australia managed the high wind and high drama for a 4-under 68 to win win the ISPS Handa Vic Open, the tournament his sister has won twice.
Lee won for the first time at a tournament co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. He had a three-shot lead to start the final round, but had to hold off a charge by Ryan Fox of New Zealand, who closed with a 64.
Lee had a one-shot lead playing the par-5 18th at the 13th Beach Golf Links when he calmly hit the fairway and green to set up at two-putt birdie.
His sister, Minjee Lee, was waiting for him on the green to celebrate.
The men and women played separate competitions on the same course for equal prize money.
