Kevin Yu of Taiwan birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Beau Hossler and win his first title on the PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday in Jackson, Miss.
Yu shot a 5-under-par 67 to match Hossler (68) at 23-under 265. They returned to the tee at the par-4 18th hole at the Country Club of Jackson, and Yu found the fairway while Hossler’s drive missed far left.
Yu planted his approach 6 feet from the hole, and Hossler’s second shot landed in a greenside bunker. However, he hit a beautiful recovery shot that sat down 3 feet from the cup, applying some pressure on Yu to make his birdie or else continue the playoff.
But Yu’s birdie putt was true, and he pumped both his fists above his head in celebration.
“Feels amazing. Feels like a dream come true,” Yu said. “I’ve been dreaming this since I was five. I just feel like to do it with my parents out here, it’s really special.
“Everybody was saying, like, first win is always very special and only get it once, so really happy.”
Yu jumped 36 spots in the FedEx Cup Fall standings to No. 60. At the end of the fall, the players ranked Nos. 51-60 will qualify for the first two signature events of 2025, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.
“It’s very, very important,” Yu said. “My mindset was definitely trying to win and we did it today. You know, to get into — to play those signature events I think helps a lot for world rankings and just all experiences.”
Yu made six birdies and one bogey in the fourth round, including a 15-foot birdie at No. 18 to post the clubhouse lead at 23 under.
“I knew I have to make at least a birdie to have a chance to play playoff,” Yu said. “I had a great number and talked to my caddie, he loves it, too. … That putt, I mean, was definitely stressful but definitely out there I was really calm and trying to do the best I could have done out there.
“Pulled the trigger, and luckily it went in and it was great.”
Hossler played with third-round leader Keith Mitchell in the final pairing and both were 23 under when they came to the 18th tee.
Mitchell had a 34 1/2-foot birdie putt to win the tournament in regulation, but after that missed, his 4-foot comebacker slipped to the left of the hole and he missed the playoff, settling for a 2-under 70.
“The first putt actually looked good off the face,” Mitchell said. “Right when it missed I kind of turned my head and didn’t watch the read on the way by, so when I got there I assumed it was breaking. Guess it broke left. It was going to break right back up the hill. I played it left edge, left center, and it and just didn’t go in.”
Hossler also missed left of the fairway when playing the 18th in regulation, but after punching out into the fairway, he stuck his third shot inside 4 feet of the pin and saved par to force the playoff with Yu.
“That’s what you play for, right?” said Hossler, who was also trying to win his first PGA Tour title. “We play 28 weeks a year, and for me, just to get in contention however many times, this is what I train for and have been working for since I was a little kid. Really nice to be nervous. Nice to hit good shots when you’re nervous.”
Lucas Glover (66) tied with Mitchell for third at 22 under. Alex Smalley fired the round of the day, a 9-under 63, to tie Bud Cauley (67) for fifth at 21 under.
–Field Level Media
