Jhonattan Vegas wins 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities with birdie on final hole

PGA Tour veteran Jhonattan Vegas has gone from sand to surf often in a career that had long lacked a victory until Sunday’s triumph at the 3M Open.

But he had never hit into a hazard quite like the one at TPC Twin Cities, in which he drove off the 12th tee left into the trees and the ball settled into the folded arms of an on-duty policeman.

“That was wild, right?” Vegas said. “Out of all the places that the ball can go, to find a policeman. Luckily he was standing in the right place and I was able to get a good drop and have somewhat of a clear shot to the green. It’s just some of that crazy stuff that happens in golf.”

So that wasn’t one of those situations where you play the ball as it lies?

“Luckily, no,” Vegas said. “He has a gun, so you don’t want to swing at that guy.”

Vegas still salvaged par on that par-5 12th, on a day when he shot 1-under-par 70 to finish 17 under overall, his 3-foot birdie putt on the final hole just enough to beat hard-charging tour rookie Max Greyserman’s 63 by a shot.

Nine-time tour winner Matt Kuchar and Maverick McNealy tied for third two shots back. Others, such as No. 11 in the world Sahith Theegala and 2021 3M champion Cam Champ, made their moves, but not enough.

Kuchar hadn’t won since the 2019 Sony Open. He has made the FedEx playoffs in all their various forms every year since 2007 and still has a chance in the regular season’s final event, the Wyndham Championship, to get in this year.

“Certainly making the playoffs, keeping my job for next year, they’re all checkmarks,” said Kuchar, who attributed his even-par 71 Sunday to a balky putter. “I normally like to check these off a lot earlier in the year than right now, but ‘tis the bed I made.”

The last of Vegas’ first three PGA Tour victories was the 2017 Canadian Open, which came after the 2016 Canadian Open and 2011 Bob Hope Classic.

Now 39, the Venezuelan, a college star at Texas, has battled back from shoulder and elbow surgeries to reclaim his once-promising career. After his clinching two-putt for birdie at the par-5 18th hole, Vegas said he struggled again with the shoulder all day.

“Today wasn’t 100 percent and I felt it right away on the first hole,” said Vegas, who had four birdies and three bogeys Sunday. “It was a nightmare, but luckily stayed calm and I was able to play pretty solid.”

He birdied two of his final four holes for that 70 score, which had followed rounds of 68, 66 and 63.

“You know, it hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure,” said Vegas, who said he hasn’t been home to politically troubled Venezuela for 10 years. “It has been a lot of grinding, a lot of dealing with injuries, a lot of headaches. But these are the moments — you get up every day and you work hard, you do all the right things, because nothing feels better than this.”

3M Open final results

Sunday’s victory elevated Vegas to 66th on the FedEx Cup points list. Staying in the top 70 through the Wyndham Championship in two weeks gets him in the top 70 and in the first playoff event, the St. Jude Classic in Memphis. He also was 157th on the money list before he won $1.5 million Sunday.

“That’s the beauty of golf, that’s the beauty of the PGA Tour,” Vegas said. “No other tour in the world provides that. Any week can change your life forever. So I’m just thankful the win came this week.”

He overcame everybody by two-putting from 96 feet to finish out on 18. He pumped his right fist and then greeted his wife and two young children rushing onto the green to greet him.

“That was the cherry on top of the cake,” he said about his family seeing him win in person. “My boy is 5. I hadn’t had a win since he was born. Lots of pictures with trophies around the house, so my boy was asking when I’m going to have a picture with a trophy. It’s even more special that they were here because a lot of times they’re not. It just means the world.”