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Champ takes 3M Open; Lee, Dodd win first major titles

Champ takes 3M Open; Lee, Dodd win first major titles
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BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Cameron Champ fended off dehydration and crisply putted his way to a 5-under 66 on Sunday, winning the 3M Open by two strokes for his third career victory.

The 26-year-old Champ had five birdies in a bogey-free round to finish at 15-under 269 at TPC Twin Cities. Louis Oosthuizen, Jhonattan Vegas and Charl Schwartzel tied for second.

Champ jumped from 142nd to 49th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 125 getting into the playoff opener.

Oosthuizen shot 66, too, in a much stronger finish than the previous weekend at the British Open, where his 54-hole lead turned into a tie for third after a fourth-round 71.

Playing six pairs ahead of Champ, Oosthuizen birdied three of the last four holes to give himself an outside chance. His approach to the 18th green almost yielded an eagle on the PGA Tour’s hardest par-5 hole, but the ball lipped out. He made a 2 1/2 foot putt for birdie instead.

Schwartzel, his fellow South African, posted a 68 to match Vegas in the final round.

During another 90-degree day, Champ was far from his physical best. He felt some dizziness along the back nine, putting his hands on his knees at one point as he hung his head to try to regain some composure.

LPGA TOUR

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Minjee Lee won the Evian Championship for her first major title, overcoming a seven-stroke deficit and beating Jeongeun Lee6 with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

In the playoff, Lee hit a 6-iron from 190 yards to 8 feet on the par-5 18th and two-putted for birdie. Lee6 hit into the creek fronting the green and made a bogey.

Lee, the 25-year-old Australian, birdied four of the final five holes of regulation for a bogey-free 7-under 64 and a tie with Lee6 at 18-under 266. Lee6, from South Korea, closed with a 71. American Yealimi Noh was a stroke back after a 67.

Lee won for the sixth time on the LPGA Tour. Her younger brother, Min Woo Lee, won the European Tour’s Scottish Open two weeks ago on the first extra hole.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

SUNNINGDALE, England (AP) — Stephen Dodd birdied the final hole for a one-stroke victory in the Senior British Open, holding off challenges from Miguel Angel Jimenez and Darren Clarke to secure his first major title.

Dodd closed with a 2-under 68 at Sunningdale for a 13-under 267. The 55-year-old Welshman hit his approach from the right rough to about 10 feet on the par-4 18th. and holed the putt to earn a spot next year in the British Open at St. Andrews.

Jimenez, the 2018 winner, shot a 65 to finish second. Clarke was another shot behind after a 67.

EUROPEAN TOUR

NEWPORT, Wales (AP) — Nacho Elvira of Spain beat Justin Harding with a par on the first hole of a playoff in the Wales Open after blowing a six-stroke lead.

Elvira finished regulation with a bogey for an even-par 71 and a 16-under 268 total at at Celtic Manor. Harding, from South Africa, shot a 65.

Elvira dedicated the victory to Celia Barquin Arozamena, the Spanish player who was murdered in 2018. Barquin, who won the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in 2018, was a student at Iowa State University when she was found dead on a course in the state in September that year.

KORN FERRY TOUR

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Dylan Wu won the Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship to wrap up a PGA Tour card for next season.

Wu closed with a 7-under 63 at Highland Springs to match the tournament record of 27-under 261 and beat Taylor Moore by two strokes.

The 25-year-old former Northwestern player jumped from 31st to 14rth in the season standings, with the final top 25 earning PGA Tour cards.

Moore birdied the first six holes on the back nine in a 62. Taylor Dickson was third at 23 under after a 64.

Doug LaBelle II set the tournament record in 2006.

OTHER TOURS

Lilia Vu won the Twin Bridges Championship at Pinehaven in Albany, New York, to take the Symetra Tour money lead. She closed with a 3-under 68 to finish at 8 under, two strokes ahead of Rachel Rohanna. Vu also won the Garden City Charity Classic in early May in Kansas. The former UCLA star has earned $99,178 this season, with the final top 10 earning LPGA Tour cards. … Patrick Newcomb won the Bupa Championship in Mexico for his second career PGA Tour Latinoamerica victory, beating Oscar Fraustro with a par on the second hole of a playoff. Newcomb closed with a 4-under 68 to match Fraustro (68) at 5 under at PGA Riviera Maya. Newcomb also won the 2017 Honduras Open. … Jiyai Shin won the Japan LPGA’s Daito Kentaku Eheyanet Ladies, closing with a 1-under 71 for a five-stroke victory. The South Korean player finished at 15 under art Takino in Hokkaido, Japan.

The Associated Press