Smotherman wins in Utah for 1st PGA Tour title. Meronk takes Dunhill Links at St. Andrews

IVINS, Utah (AP) — Austin Smotherman recovered from his lone blunder with two great shots and was able to cruise home to a 3-under 68 on Sunday to win the Bank of Utah Championship, his first PGA Tour victory in his 100th career start.

Smotherman came into the week at No. 79 in the FedEx Cup — the top 100 keep full PGA Tour cards for 2027 — and picked up some immediate rewards. He now has a two-year exemption, which includes the lucrative “Championship Series” when the new competitive model starts in 2028.

He finished at 26-under 258 at Black Desert Resort, easily breaking the 72-hole record at the tournament only in its third year, and won by two shots.

Along with the two-year exemption, Smotherman moves to No. 51 in the FedEx Fall and is likely to stay among the top 60 to get into a pair of $20 million signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera next year.

Doug Ghim, also seeking his first PGA Tour victory, three-putted from 30 feet on the 13th and missed a 6-foot par putt on the 15th, which hurt his chances. He birdied the final hole for a 69 that allowed him to finish alone in second, moving him from 89th to 58th in the FedEx Cup.

European tour

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Adrian Meronk caught up quickly and pulled ahead on the mistakes of Casey Jarvis to win the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

His fifth European tour title was perhaps the most important for Meronk. It gives him a full European tour card at a time when his LIV Golf League is in doubt as it tries to restructure.

Meronk opened with three birdies in five holes to make up a two-shot deficit on Jarvis, the South African going for his third European tour title this year. Jarvis still had a one-shot lead when he three-putted from 15 feet for bogey on the ninth and had a chip run back off the green on the par-3 11th for another bogey.

Jarvis closed with a 72 and tied for second with Niklas Norgaard (68).

LPGA Tour

HONOLULU (AP) — Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand quickly overcame a late double bogey on a windy Sunday afternoon at Hoakalei Country Club in the LOTTE Championship for her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the season and 11th overall.

After driving into the water and losing a two-shot lead on the par-4 16th, Thitikul made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th for another two-shot swing. She closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th for a three-stroke victory over playing partner Ina Yoon.

The second-ranked Thitikul matched top-ranked Nelly Korda for the tour victory lead, finishing with a 4-under 68 for a 21-under 267 total.

Yoon also shot 68. The South Korean player drove into the water on 17 and made bogey, then parred the last.

Miyu Yamashita of Japan was third at 17 under after a 67.

PGA Tour Champions

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Steven Alker birdied two of his last three holes for a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot victory over Tag Ridings in the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, his fourth title this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

Alker now has won four times in his last five starts, one of them on the Legends Tour in Europe, trailing only Zach Johnson (6) and Stewart Cink (5) for most victories this year.

Michael Block, the 54-hole leader, didn’t make a birdie until the 11th hole. He made bogey on his final hole for a 69 to finish alone in third. Alker finished at 14-under 196. Ridings shot a 64.

Block has done well enough in non-member earnings to have a Champions card for 2027 and be eligible for the Charles Schwab Cup postseason.

Korn Ferry Tour

OWASSO, Okla. (AP) — Sandy Scott closed with a 6-under 64 and defeated William Sides on the fourth playoff hole to win the Compliance Solutions Championship, his second straight Korn Ferry Tour that moved him atop the points list.

Sides was 7 under on the seven holes of the back nine at The Patriot Golf Club and had a one-shot lead until he missed a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole and shot 64. Along with that par putt, Sides had birdie putts of 15 feet and 10 feet on the 18th hole in a playoff. Scott missed a 10-foot birdie putt for the win on the 17th, and then ended it with a 15-foot birdie on the 18th.

The Korn Ferry Tour Championship is next week. Scott, already assured a PGA Tour card next year, would get exemptions to The Players Championship and U.S. Open if he stays at No. 1 in points.

Epson Tour

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Reagan Zibilski birdied four of her last six holes for a 9-under 62 that gave her a one-shot victory in the Epson Tour Championship, moving her to No. 10 on the points list that gives her an LPGA Tour card for 2027.

Zibilski had come into the season finale at Indian Wells Resort at No. 37.

Mirabel Ting birdied the last hole for a 66 to finish second, securing her No. 1 standing in points.

The top 15 players earn status on the LPGA Tour next year, though the top 10 will have a higher status for getting in tournaments.

Other tours

Hiroshi Iwata closed with a 2-over 72 and held on for a one-shot victory over Yuto Katsumata in the Drugstore Cosmos Cup on the Japan Golf Tour. … Liam Nolan won the Abu Dhabi Challenge with a 5-under 65 for a four-shot victory on the Challenge Tour. … Kyle Barker closed with a 4-under 68 and defeated Cole Stevens in a playoff to win the Limpopo Championship on the Sunshine Tour. … Jean Hugo of South Africa shot a 1-under 71 for a three-shot victory in the Reignwood Legends Championship, his first Legends Tour title. … Jiyai Shin of South Korea closed with a 4-under 66 and defeated Women’s British Open champion Shiho Kuwaki in a playoff in the Japan Women’s Open Championship. … Haeran Ryu closed with a 3-under 69 and won the Hite Jinro Championship by four shots on the Korea LPGA.

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