By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Aldrich Potgieter ended the protracted Rocket Classic, making an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to outlast Max Greyserman for his first PGA Tour title on Sunday.
“I finally got one to the hole,” Potgieter said after missed opportunities on the green by three players led to the longest playoff of the season on the tour.
He celebrated by embracing his caddie and shaking hands with Greyserman and his caddie before giving his father, Heinrich, a hug.
The 20-year-old Potgieter is the youngest player on the tour and its biggest hitter, averaging 326-plus yards off the tee. He became the ninth player to win for the first time this season.
Potgieter was born in South Africa, moved to Australia when he was 8 and returned to South Africa at age 17 because the COVID-19 pandemic limited his opportunities to compete.
“We had to give up a lot, moving to Australia, moving back,” he said. “Emigrating is definitely not the easiest thing. Coming alone at the start of my career to the States and giving it a grind, and having my dad here has helped so much.”
Potgieter won the British Amateur at the age of 17 and became the youngest Korn Ferry Tour winner last year, paving the way for him to become the second-youngest player to earn a PGA Tour card through the minor league just after his 20th birthday. The youngest was Jason Day, who was 19 in 2007.
Chris Kirk was eliminated after missing a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole — that after pushing a 9-foot putt past the cup on the first extra hole with a chance to win.
Greyserman and Potgieter each had opportunities to win end it on the 72nd hole at Detroit Golf Club, but couldn’t convert on birdie opportunities to break a tie at 22 under with Kirk.
“This one’s going to sting for a little bit,” Greyserman said.
Potgieter, two strokes ahead entering the round, closed with a 3-under 69, and Greyserman and Kirk each shot 67.
Greyserman missed a 12-foot putt and Potgieter came up short on an uphill, 42-foot putt. That set up Kirk with an opportunity to win it, but he couldn’t take advantage. After Greyserman two-putted from 39 feet for par and Potgieter did the same from 20 feet, Kirk had a chance to win it with a 9-foot putt only to push it to the right of the cup to extend the playoff.
The trio then went to the par-3, 158-yard 15th and Greyserman was the only one who was accurate off the tee and didn’t take advantage.
The trend continued on the par-4 16th, where both Greyserman and Potgieter missed 16-foot putts with a chance to win.
At the par-5 14th, Greyserman hit is drive 361 yards — his longest of the week — and was just 2 yards behind Potgieter’s blast. Potgieter hit his approach from 195 yards to 19 feet and he pulled his putt. Greyserman two-putted from from 29 feet for birdie.
Back at No. 15 for a second time in the playoff, Greyserman two-putted from 34 feet and then Potgieter finally ended it.
“Just wasn’t my time,” said Greyserman, who finished second for the fourth time after coming up short for his first PGA Tour victory.
Michael Thorbjornsen (67) and Jake Knapp (68) finished a stroke out of the playoff.
Collin Morikawa, meanwhile, is still waiting to end his drought.
He shot a 68 to finish 19 under and in an eighth-place tie. The two-time major winner, who was the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 5 in the world, has not won the PGA Tour since October 2023 at the Zozo Championship in Japan.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who rose to No. 7 in the world after winning the Travelers Championship last week, closed with 67 to tie for 41st at 12 under.