Everybody loves to see a hole-in-one on the PGA Tour, and fans were treated one on Easter Sunday during the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, courtesy of Peter Malnati. The 23-year-old Indiana native was having a tough day after going out in 40, and the back nine wasn’t much better. That is until he hit this gorgeous tee shot on the 180-yard par-3 17th hole. The ball landed well short of the hole and tracked perfectly all the way until if found the bottom of the cup for the rare ace. Unfortunately, Malnati finished in a tie for 44th.
However, the day belonged to rookie Wesley Bryant who came from four strokes behind to win his first career PGA Tour title. After an early bogey on number three, the 27-year-old rattled off four birdies in a row and then added two more on the back nine to take the outright lead which he never relinquished. In the process, Bryan became the first ever man from South Carolina to claim the famous tartan jacket and earned a spot in the 2018 Masters field, which is conveniently located around the block from his current home in Augusta. For good measure, he also received a check $1.17 million for his effort and is now exempt through the 2018-19 season. Not a bad day at the office.
.@WesleyBryanGolf … very candid when discussing nerves.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 16, 2017
In what is one of the crazier journeys up the ranks on the PGA Tour, Bryan made a name for himself by achieving internet fame making trick-shot videos with his brother George. Then he decided to try his hand on the profession circuit in 2016 and found immediate success by winning three times on the Web.com Tour which by the golden rule, gave him his Tour card. Bryan posted a few top 10s at the start of the 2017 season but solidified his place in the big leagues this week with his first victory.
Like clockwork, Luke Donald posted another strong finish with a runner-up effort. For the record, this is his seventh top-three finish at Harbour Town in his career. Young guns Patrick Cantly and Ollie Schniderjans finished in a tie for third, along with Will McGirt. Here’s a look at the highlights and the final results of the 2017 RBC Heritage Open:
Next stop on the PGA Tour: Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
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