OK, by now in the 2021-22 PGA Tour wrap-around season you know the drill: If you’re going to contend for a title on Sunday, you’re going to have to shoot a pretty low number.
Through the first 11 events prior to this week’s American Express, the average final-round score from the winner has been 65.27. Seven times the winner has shot 65 or lower, including the last four tournaments reaching back to the Houston Open last year.
It was no different this Sunday in the California desert. Yes, PGA West’s Stadium Course has some treachery baked in, notably the par-3 island-green 17th with its rocky perimeter raising the pulse for those in contention. But the final-round scores of winners here in the recent past is also impressive: 64, 67, 65, 67 and 67 over the last five years.
Now add a 64 from Hudson Swafford. The 34-year-old from St Simons Island, Georgia, rallied from three off the lead to take the title for the second time in six years with nine birdies and an eagle on Sunday, beating Tom Hoge by two shots.
Maybe it wasn’t a surprise the winner would be of the come-from-behind variety. The most interesting variable heading into the final round was the inexperience of those in contention coming into the final round. Lee Hodges and Paul Barjon, co-leaders at 18 under par, were PGA Tour rookies, each making just their 14th tour starts. Neither had carded a top-10 in their career much less a victory, so this was new territory for both. Hodges closed with a 70 to finish T-3; Barjon shot a 73 to come in 10th.
For Swafford, despite two previous PGA Tour wins, the AmEx victory earned him the biggest cheque of his career. The overall prizemoney payout is $US7.6 million with the winner earning $US1.368 million. Here’s the prizemoney payouts for every golfer who made the cut at this week’s event.
Win: Hudson Swafford, -23, $US1,368,000 ($A1.9 million)
2: Tom Hoge, -21, $828,400
T-3: Brian Harman, -20, $402,800
T-3: Lanto Griffin, -20, $402,800
T-3: Lee Hodges, -20, $402,800
T-6: Will Zalatoris, -19, $275,500
T-6: Denny McCarthy, -19, $275,500
T-6: Francesco Molinari, -19, $275,500
9: Patrick Cantlay, -18, $222,300
10: Paul Barjon, -17, $207,100
T-11: Sungjae Im, -16, $184,300
T-11: Si Woo Kim, -16, $184,300
13: Wyndham Clark, -15, $161,500
T-14: Russell Henley, -14, $119,700
T-14: Zach Johnson, -14, $119,700
T-14: David Lipsky, -14, $119,700
T-14: Seamus Power, -14, $119,700
T-14: Andrew Putnam, -14, $119,700
T-14: Jon Rahm, -14, $119,700
T-14: Roger Sloan, -14, $119,700
T-14: Brandt Snedeker, -14, $119,700
T-22: Patton Kizzire, -13, $79,420
T-22: Luke List, -13, $79,420
T-22: Harold Varner III, -13, $79,420
T-25: Adam Hadwin, -12, $55,955
T-25: Charles Howell III, -12, $55,955
T-25: J.T. Poston, -12, $55,955
T-25: Scottie Scheffler, -12, $55,955
T-25: Greyson Sigg, -12, $55,955
T-25: Alex Smalley, -12, $55,955
T-25: J.J. Spaun, -12, $55,955
T-25: Stephen Stallings Jr., -12, $55,955
T-33: Joseph Bramlett, -11, $39,682.86
T-33: Lucas Glover, -11, $39,682.86
T-33: Justin Rose, -11, $39,682.86
T-33: Camilo Villegas, -11, $39,682.86
T-33: Jared Wolfe, -11, $39,682.86
T-33: Nick Taylor, -11, $39,682.85
T-33: Sahith Theegala, -11, $39,682.85
T-40: Abraham Ancer, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Jason Dufner, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Tony Finau, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Graeme McDowell, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Patrick Rodgers, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Vince Whaley, -10, $27,013.78
T-40: Harry Higgs, -10, $27,013.77
T-40: Cameron Young, -10, $27,013.77
T-49: Sam Ryder, 279/-9, $18,949.34
T-49: Sepp Straka, 279/-9, $18,949.34
T-49: Bronson Burgoon, 279/-9, $18,949.33
T-49: Jason Day, -9, $18,949.33
T-49: Hank Lebioda, -9, $18,949.33
T-49: Adam Svensson, -9, $18,949.33
T-55: Kevin Chappell, -8, $17,632
T-55: Michael Gligic, -8, $17,632
T-55: Patrick Reed, -8, $17,632
T-55: Martin Trainer, -8, $17,632
T-59: Doug Ghim, -7, $17,024
T-59: Trey Mullinax, -7, $17,024
T-59: Aaron Rai, -7, $17,024
T-59: Davis Riley, -7, $17,024
T-63: Emiliano Grillo, -6, $16,492
T-63: K.H. Lee, -6, $16,492
T-63: Henrik Norlander, -6, $16,492
66: Anirban Lahiri, -5, $16,188
T-67: Nick Hardy, -4, $15,884
T-67: Taylor Moore, -4, $15,884
T-67: Seung-Yul Noh, -4, $15,884
70: Brice Garnett, -3, $15,580
