26 July 2021: Cameron Champ shot five birdies and kept his sheet clean on a tense Sunday, extracting a two stroke victory for his third career PGA TOUR victory. Champ won the 3M Open from three other golfers who pushed him all day at TPC Twin Cities.
Champ was bogey free on Sunday, his 66 taking him to 15-under 269, two ahead of Louis Oosthuizen, Jhonattan Vegas and Charl Schwartzel who tied for second.
The 26-year-old American wasn’t only dealing with his opponents and the course. He was also battling dehydration on the way home and some final drama when he veered off course on the 72nd hole. He sent his tee shot flying left into the tall grass well off the fairway. But he dialled in a terrific approach shot that flew past the flag before traveling backward with the spin he imparted on the ball.
Oosthuizen, coming off a tie for third in the Open, shot 66 too too secure a tie in second with Vegas and Schwartzel. The South African birdied three of the last four holes to force his way up the order.
Schwartzel secured his spot at the table with a final round 68, the same score as Vegas.
Champ was far from his best, physically. He was sighted willing himself with his hands on the knees as he fought off dehydration and dizziness as he worked his way through the final nine of the week. In the context, it was commendable for Champ to secure a par despite sailing wide off the tee with a perfect approach on one of the most difficult par-5 holes on the PGA TOUR.
He had to chip out from the rough, before finding that approach, which left him easy par-save. Enough for a third win of his PGA TOUR career. Champ also won the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2018 and the Safeway Open in 2019. Incidentally, this was also his first top ten this season, helping to haul him high from a lowly 142nd on the FedexCup rankings.
Overnight leader Cameron Tringale fumbled his lines, dropped six strokes back, after posting a 74 in the final round.
