Gooch, Garcia, Uihlein tied for lead at LIV Golf Miami

SAN DIEGO: Harris English held off hard-charging Sam Stevens to win the Farmers Insurance Open by one shot Saturday, securing his fifth career PGA Tour victory with a 1-over 73 in challenging weather at Torrey Pines.

English finished his first tour win since 2021 at 8-under 280. Stevens began the day six shots off the lead, but surged into contention with a 4-under 68 for the best final round in this edition of a tournament with a tradition of furious final-day rallies.

His impressive number didn’t rattle the 35-year-old English, who made two early bogeys in a round that began in strong wind. English steadied his game and calmly finished with 12 consecutive pars.

English was businesslike to the end: He put his tee shot on the 18th into the rough, but got back into the fairway before putting his 115-yard approach shot squarely on the green. He two-putted for the victory, rolling his 25-footer to 7 inches for a tap-in and a subdued celebration.

Andrew Novak was third at 6 under, missing out on his first tour victory with a disappointing 74 after briefly taking the lead.

Sungjae Im and Kris Ventura tied for fourth at 5 -under.

English hadn’t won since surviving an eight-hole playoff with Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championships in 2021, although he still had nine top-10 finishes in the previous two seasons after missing five months in early 2022 while recovering from hip surgery. English already had a strong history at Torrey Pines, where he lost a four-way playoff to Jason Day in 2015 and then finished third at the US Open in 2021.

English surged into the lead Friday with three straight birdies to close his third-round 66, capitalizing on the mildest day of weather to make his move at the gorgeous coastal course.

The wind that forced an 86-minute delay in the second round Thursday returned in intermittent force early Saturday on the oceanside holes, but calmed somewhat in the afternoon. Lanto Griffin wore a wooly white beanie with a pompom on top, while many fans broke out winter jackets that don’t normally get much use in San Diego.

Novak and English, who live on the same island in coastal Georgia, played together in the final group — and while English overcame his early hiccups, Novak was up and down.

Novak opened with two bogeys, but then surged into the lead with three straight birdies. He rolled in an astonishing 54-foot putt on the fifth, reading the drop from the green’s top tier perfectly. Novak put both hands to his head in disbelief.

But Novak made three bogeys and a birdie around the turn, while English began his string of pars, repeatedly getting up and down with minimal fuss.

Stevens finished his round several groups before Novak and English, keeping pressure on the leaders. Novak couldn’t apply his own pressure to English, making no birdies on the back nine.

Stevens turned pro in 2018 and joined the tour in 2023. The Oklahoma State product matched his best previous result in his runner-up finish to Corey Connors at the Valero Texas Open in April 2023.

He charged up the leaderboard at Torrey Pines despite the wind, making four birdies on the front nine. Stevens even saved par on the 18th after putting his second shot in the water while trying to reach the green in two.

World No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama finished at 1 over. He’ll be back in San Diego in three weeks to defend his title at the Genesis Invitational, which has been moved from Riviera to Torrey Pines.

Ludvig Aberg, who led after each of the first two rounds, finished at 3 over after battling through illness in his final two rounds.

DUBAI: Tyrrell Hatton held his nerve to clinch the Dubai Desert Classic on the final hole from Daniel Hillier on Sunday.

The pair walked up to the 18th tee with Hatton leading by two shots, but the pressure was on when New Zealander Hillier sunk a birdie putt.

Hatton was up to the challenge, making a 7-footer to secure his eighth European tour title by two shots and lift him top of the Race to Dubai rankings.

“A dream come true,” smiled Hatton who equalled Jon Rahm’s record of five Rolex Series wins. He had started the day one behind Hillier.

Outgoing champion Rory McIlroy went down fighting with a final-round surge, the Northern Irishman signing for a six-under to finish fourth, one shot adrift of third-placed Laurie Canter.

Elsewhere, Ernie Els won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship for his seventh PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Bernard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Cejka by two strokes.

The 67-year-old Langer missed a chance to win for the 19th straight season on the 50-and-over tour. The German star won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship last year for his record-extending 47th senior title.

Els finished at 18-under 198 at Hualalai Golf Course. Playing alongside Els and Cejka in the final group, Langer parred the final four holes in a 66. Jimenez closed with a 64, and Cejka shot 68. Langer and Jimenez have each won the event three times.

“I’ve been trying to get my hands on that trophy for five years now,” Els said. “Came close my very first time and finally got it through the line. But what a battle it was. I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to play golf and have basically a week’s holiday with a golf tournament. Wonderful week.”

Els and Langer broke out of a six-way tie for the lead with matching birdies on the par-5 14th, and Els moved ahead of Langer with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th.

Els saved par on par-4 16th with a 10-footer, then left a 25-foot birdie try an inch short on the par-3 17th. On the par-4 18th, after Langer’s long birdie try slid past, Els holed a 10-footer for the two-shot margin.

Els won three times last season. The 55-year-old South African is a four-time major champion, winning the US Open and British Open twice each.

“Getting it done under the gun, very tight race all day, all week really,” Els said. “I had to make some clutch putts. Even if you don’t believe in yourself as much, days like this when you make those putts like you used to, it gives you hope again.”

Defending champion Steven Alker and Jerry Kelly each shot 65 to tie for fifth at 15 under.

Steve Stricker tied for 19th at 10 under after a 69 in his first official PGA Tour Champions event since September.