'Massive upset': 500/1 outsider wins $9 million golf event
Jim Herman has defied the odds and capped off a superb weekend of play with a win at the Wyndham Championship, shooting a seven-under par 63 in the final round of the Greensboro, North Carolina, tournament.
The 42-year-old American entered the Wyndham Championship as a 500/1 outsider.
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But after winning his first career win at the age of 38, he picked up his third on Monday, which catapulted him from 192nd to 54th in the FedEx rankings.
To make matters more incredible, he had entered 18 PGA Season Tour events in 2020, missed the cut 11 times and and never finished inside the Top 25.
But Herman, who started the day tied for fifth after carding a nine-under 61 in Saturday's action, kept his hot streak going at Sedgefield Country Club, firing two birdies and an eagle in the first five holes of the final round.
"Obviously you don't expect 61 or 63 on a regular basis, but when you need it, there was nowhere else to go but deep," said Herman, as he picked up his third PGA Tour win in a little over four years.
"Best golf I've played in my life obviously."
Cameron Davis did best of the Australian contingent, shooting a final round five-under par 65 to finish at 14 under for the tournament - seven shots behind Herman in a share of 15th place.
Runner-up Billy Horschel, who carded a five-under par 65, saw victory slip through his fingers after bogeying on 16 and missing a birdie putt on 17, ultimately sparing Herman from a playoff after a near-miss putt for birdie on 18.
Jim Herman now has as many PGA Tour wins over the past 13 months (two) as Rory McIlroy.
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) August 16, 2020
Jim Herman (+50000) with the massive upset at the Wyndham Championship as he edges out Billy Horschel with a final round 63
Herman is the 318th ranked golfer in the world @ForePlayPod pic.twitter.com/4W5lhj0yXk— Barstool Bets (@barstoolbets) August 16, 2020
Players over 40 to win this season on Tour:
Tiger Woods
Jim Herman— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) August 17, 2020
Jim Herman picked up his first career win at age 38.
Now, at age 42, he has three. 🏆🏆🏆@GoHermie has won @WyndhamChamp! pic.twitter.com/aNNv4neTPC— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 16, 2020
Herman praises dedication
The 42-year-old Herman, who didn't pick up his first PGA win until he was 38, said "you've got to play like everything's on the line" on the Tour.
"Outside of a few wins by the old guys in their 40s, it's a young man's game, so it's nice to compete and show you can do it," he said.
Kim Si-woo, the leader heading into the final round after sinking a hole in one on Saturday, finished tied for third at 18-under after carding an even-par 70.
The Wyndham Championship was the final event of the PGA Tour's novel coronavirus-hit regular season.
With AAP
