Lee Hodges went wire-to-wire to secure his first PGA TOUR triumph in the 3M Open in Minnesota.
The 28-year-old Alabama native entered the final day with a five-shot lead on his nearest competitor and hit a 67 in the final round including two eagles to end the tournament on 24 under par and seven shots ahead of JT Poston, Kevin Streelman, and Martin Laird.
“Elated. It’s just a dream week, the whole thing,” Hodges said.
Hodges becomes the 23rd third-round leader or co-leader to win on the TOUR this season with victory also meaning that he climbs up from 74th to 33rd in the FedExCp points standings which would ensure that the American would be eligible to compete in the first leg of the playoffs.
“I think we’re as ready as we can be,” Hodges said. “I’m playing some really good golf. I’m excited to have the opportunity to do some special things in the playoffs now.
“Anytime you win, you really set yourself up for some special stuff.”
Keith Mitchell and Dylan Wu tied for fifth after both finished on 16 under while defending champion and highest-ranked player in the competition, Tony Finau, finished seventh alongside Sam Ryder and Aaron Baddeley after hitting a 70 in the final round to finish on 15 under.
The next event on the PGA TOUR is the Wyndham Championship taking place between 3-6 August at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina.