Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan barely qualified for a spot in the Truist Championship, but the PGA Tour rookie took full advantage of that entry.
Reitan shot 2-under-par 69 in the final round to win for the first time on the tour, capturing the tournament title Sunday in Charlotte.
“This is way more than I expected, and for it to happen this quickly is just unreal,” Reitan said. “Yeah, a dream come true.”
While others in a four-way tie for first place on the back nine dropped strokes, Reitan stayed steady in his 15th start on tour and became the second Norwegian to win a PGA event, following Viktor Hovland.
Reitan’s four-round total of 15-under 269 at Quail Hollow Club reflected a two-shot edge on Rickie Fowler (65 on Sunday) and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard (68).
Reitan said he considered giving up on golf when he wasn’t finding joy in the sport, but that has changed.
“It helped me find my game again,” he said. “It helped me discover my talents again.”
England’s Alex Fitzpatrick, aiming for his second PGA Tour title in three weeks, ended with 73 and in fourth place at 12 under despite beginning the round atop the leaderboard.
“I’m disappointed not to have won, but I’m also really proud of myself for how I battled out there,” Fitzpatrick said.
Reitan, playing in the final pairing with Fitzpatrick, took the lead with a birdie on the 15th hole and then saved par after hitting into a bunker on No. 16.
Fowler, who shot his best round of the week Sunday, had pulled into a share of the lead at 14 under until he was unable to recover on the final hole. He lost his spot among the co-leaders with a bogey on No. 18. His approach shot rolled into thick greenside rough and he needed three strokes from there to finish the round.
“Bummed not to be in a position to at least maybe to be in a playoff or having a chance to win,” Fowler said. “But at the same time if you would have told me at seven back that I was going to be out front and have a chance to pose, yeah, a lot of really good stuff this week, especially with being a little under the weather.”
Fitzpatrick, who entered the final round with a one-shot lead, had a ragged start by going 3 over for the first three holes, including a double-bogey 6 on No. 3. But he was better with birdies on three of the first four holes of the back nine until another trouble spot.
Fitzpatrick was one stroke behind Reitan going to the par-3 17th, but a double bogey there pretty much ended his bid.
“I feel I battled really, really well after that and then one swing cost me on 17,” Fitzpatrick said.
J.J. Spaun (69), England’s Tommy Fleetwood (69) and South Korea’s Sungjae Im (70) shared fifth place at 11 under.
With only a few holes to play, four golfers were tied for the top spot at 14 under.
Hojgaard hit a wayward approach on No. 16 and his bogey cost him a share of the lead.
Sam Burns and Australia’s Min Woo Lin had the best rounds of the day with 64s. Lee moved to 7 under to tie for 14th place and Burns tied for 37th at 2 under.
— Field Level Media
