By Ian Ransom
(Reuters) – With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a U.S. PGA Tour title.
The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday.
Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined T.C. Chen (1987, LA Open) and C.T. Pan (2019 RBC Heritage) as Tour winners from Taiwan.
“I’ve been dreaming this moment since I was five,” said Yu, who claimed a team gold medal with Pan at the 2014 Asian Games golf in Incheon, South Korea.
“This is the dream for all golfers, to win on the PGA Tour.
“I did it today. I’m thankful for my parents. Without them, I couldn’t have done that.”
Poignantly, both Chen and Pan were present in Jackson as Yu soaked up the win with his parents. Yu’s long-time backer Pan missed the cut.