Will Zalatoris outlasted Sepp Straka to win the FedEx St. Jude Championship in a dramatic playoff for his first win on the PGA Tour.
After many close shaves with victories all over the world, luck finally went Zalatoris’ way in the playoff after both he and Straka finished tied at 15-under 265.
The American made a crucial 10-foot putt for par to finish his final round at 4-under 66 and get into a one-on-one shootout with the Austrian. Straka could have avoided the situation altogether but narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt for the win on the 18th for a final round 67.
The three-hole playoff to decide the winner was wild, to say the least. It featured three penalty drops in three holes, neither man making a birdie with the American eventually sealing the win on par-3 11th even after making a bogey.
With the FedEx St. Jude Championship under his belt, Will Zalatoris moves into the top 10 in the world for the first time and takes the No. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup, assuring him a reasonable shot at the $18 million prize in two weeks.
Straka moves to No. 8 in the standings and is assured of his first trip to the Tour Championship at East Lake.
Meanwhile, the No. 1 rank in the world stays with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who missed the cut after day 2. Cameron Smith, who had the chance of replacing him by winning at the TPC Southwind but finished tied at 13th.
