05/10/26 05:33:00
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05/10 17:31 CDT Norway's Kristoffer Reitan earns 2-shot win at Truist
Championship for first PGA Tour victory
Norway's Kristoffer Reitan earns 2-shot win at Truist Championship for first
PGA Tour victory
By STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --- Norway's Kristoffer Reitan shot 2-under 69 on Sunday
to earn a two-shot win over Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Hojgaard at the Truist
Championship for his first victory on the PGA Tour.
Reitan, who chose golf over soccer at a young age, won twice previously on the
European Tour. He finished at 15-under 269.
"This feeling is just unreal," Reitan said.
Alex Fitzpatrick, the third-round leader, finished three shots back after
shooting 73.
Reitan, a PGA Tour rookie who started the round one shot behind Fitzpatrick,
was even par for the day after 13 holes and one shot behind Fowler, who surged
to the lead after shooting 30 on the front nine.
But Fowler, who started the day seven shots behind, couldn't sustain the
momentum.
Playing four groups ahead of the leaders, Fowler missed a 6-foot birdie putt on
16, opening the door for Reitan, Fitzpatrick, and Hojgaard to pull into a
four-way tie for the lead after all three made birdie.
Fowler had a chance down the stretch, but his approach shot on the 18th hole
landed in the thick rough on the left side of the green and his chip came out
short leading to bogey, all but ending his chances.
He finished with a round of 65.
Reitan took the lead for good with a two-putt birdie on 15 after Fitzpatrick's
wedge got caught up in the thick rough and his chip barely made the fringe,
leading to a costly par on the par 5.
Hojgaard made bogey on 16 to fall two shots back.
Fitzpatrick faltered on 17 as his chip from the rough never made the green
resulting in a double bogey, taking him out of contention.
Reitan played the final three holes of the Green Mile in even par and secured
the win with a par on 18.
Reitan's best previous finish was a tie for second last month at the Zurich
Classic when he and playing partner Kris Ventura lost by one stroke to
Fitzpatrick and his brother, Matt.
It was a hugely disappointing day for Cameron Young, the world's No. 3 player.
Looking for his second straight PGA win after a victory last week at Doral,
Young started the day just two shots off the lead but had a double bogey on the
second hole and never recovered with just one birdie the rest of the day.
He finished with a 74 and tied for 10th, six shots behind.
Fitzpatrick, who earned his tour card last month after combining with his
brother to win the Zurich Classic, began the day with a two-shot lead.
But he bogeyed the second and double-bogeyed the third after an errant tee shot
forced him to chip out, leading to a three-putt. He shot 38 on the front nine.
He battled back with three birdies on the first four holes on the back nine,
but couldn't regain sole possession of the lead.
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