Landry survives scare to win in La Quinta; Lopez top in Miami

Andrew Landry squandered a six-shot back-nine lead on Sunday but finished with back-to-back birdies to win the PGA Tour American Express in La Quinta, California, by two shots.

Landry fired a five-under-par 67 on the PGA West Stadium Course for a 26-under-par total of 262.

He appeared to be cruising toward his second PGA Tour title when he nabbed three birdies on the front nine and opened the back with birdies at 10, 11 and 12.

But Landry, who lost the 2018 title in the California desert in a playoff against Spain’s Jon Rahm, bogeyed three straight to open the door to Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who powered up the leaderboard with a 63 for 264.

Landry arrived at the 17th tee tied for the lead. In what he called the “biggest shot of the tournament” he landed an eight-iron six feet from the pin on the dangerous island green.

He followed that birdie with a birdie at 18, where he split the fairway and hit his approach to six feet.

“I’ve been swinging it well all week and putting it well all week,” Landry said as he discussed how he maintained his poise after blowing his big lead.

“That putt on 15, I don’t know how that ball didn’t go in. Then I hit another great putt on 16. So I was, like, ‘Hey, look, I’m stroking the ball well.’ “I had good swing thoughts.”

Nevertheless, the memory of the 2018 playoff loss was also prominent, making for an emotional moment when he’d secured the win and toddler son Brooks ran onto the 18th green for a hug.

Rickie Fowler, who started the day four off the lead, settled for a one-under 71 that left him tied for 10th.

Meanwhile, Gaby Lopez drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole of a sudden death playoff to win the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions on Monday.

The 26-year-old from Mexico City clinched the second win of her career after draining the putt on the par-three 18th hole at the Four Seasons Orlando.

Lopez’s long putt left Nasa Hataoka needing to make an easier 12-footer to force an eighth playoff hole, but the 21-year-old Japanese ace pushed her effort wide of the cup to concede defeat.

Lopez had birdied the 18th on Sunday to force her way into the playoff with a closing five-under-par 66, and the Mexican said that had given her confidence for the shootout.

Agence France-Presse