JACKSON, Oct 9: Luke List closed a five-way play-off in the Sanderson Farms Championship quickly with a birdie putt from just inside 45 feet to grab his second career PGA TOUR victory.
The playoff came into the picture after Ben Griffin struggled down the stretch at The Country Club of Jackson. Griffin missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole. That opened the door for List, Swedish youngster Ludvig Aberg, Henrik Norlander and Scott Stallings, all of whom returned to the par-4 18th hole alongside Griffin.
None looked to have a reasonable birdie chance until List holed his long putt and celebrated.
List closed with a 2-under 70 and missed a birdie chance from just inside 10 feet on the final hole and felt he would not have a chance, as he gave his cap to a fan.
Griffin, starting with a three-shot lead, had a birdie putt in the playoff from about 35 feet and slapped his left knee when he realized it was going to miss on the low side.
He still leading by two shots with three holes to play. But he went from the right rough to the right of the 16th green, chipped to 20 feet and missed the putt for a bogey. Still with a one-shot lead, he was in the left rough when he pulled his approach to the 18th hole near the grandstands. He chipped 8 feet by the hole and his par putt for his first PGA TOUR win grazed the right edge of the cup.
Griffin had gone 44 holes without a bogey until making one on No. 8, and it was a wild ride the rest of the way. He closed with a 74 and finished with four other golfers at 18-under 270.
Norlander, also going for his first PGA TOUR title, briefly had the lead until he hooked his approach on the par-5 14th into the water and made bogey. He closed with a 70.
Norlander’s last chance to extend the playoff came when he putted from off the green on the 18th about 20 feet away. It was offline.
Stallings also shot 70 and had a tough chance from outside 30 feet in play-off.
Aberg finished with 68 and got a surprise chance, he pushed his approach to the 18th in the playoff well to the right to some 55 feet. He lagged it just left of the hole and it looked as though he would get another chance until List made his amazing birdie putt.
List won for the first time since another playoff victory at Torrey Pines in early 2022. He had not finished in the top 10 since then. Then he had injuries to his thumb and his foot.
Carl Yuan was seemingly out of it until he holed out on the fly for eagle on the 17th hole, putting him one shot behind Griffin. But he came up well short of the 18th hole, made bogey and shot 72 to miss the playoff by one shot.
