ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. — When the Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series schedule was announced in early December, it was a schedule that promised more events than any previous season in the six-year history of the mini series.

It also seemed to promise that it might draw more interest than has ever been witnessed in the five previous years it has been held. Nine races, a $2,500 championship on the line, and the possibility of enough excitement and drama to pack a solid punch.

Those missions have been accomplished.

Six races into what has now become an eight-race schedule – after one event slated Jan. 15 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., was canceled by rain – and above-average car counts have been the norm. Numbers have risen to as high as 78 cars per event.

The next night at East Bay Raceway Park, 76 machines rolled into the third-mile oval’s pit area. Mathematically speaking, the average car count has been 62.8 entries per race through the first six events. There have been five different winners in six races.

Mark Whitener of Middleburg, Fla., is the only driver to win twice on the series, and he did that on back-to-back nights, Feb. 4-5 at East Bay. Other winners include Jason Welshan, Michael Page, Kyle Bronson and Kyle Hardy.

Just two races remain: Feb. 25-27 at Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway and March 18-20 at Modoc (S.C.) Speedway.

Toss something else into the kettle that is now threatening to reach a near-boiling temperature, and that’s a sizzling championship battle that appears to be going to the wire, since point leader Dylan Knowles holds an eight-point advantage over Jason Welshan.

Jake Knowles sits just 50 points behind in fourth place, while Whitener has emerged as a potential title contender despite missing the season-opening Ice Bowl held Jan. 10 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala.

Whitener, who is widely considered to be one of the top crate late model drivers in the country, might have attended one less race than his fellow competitors but is still sitting third in points.

He’s still in serious contention, considering he rests just 26 markers behind the current championship leader Knowles in the standings, which is an impressive feat considering his absence from one event.

Whitener has seriously considered heading to the Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series portion of the Tuckassee Toilet Bowl Classic at Clarksville, but the 40-year-old driver faces a quandary when it comes to the series finale at Modoc.

That final race date coincides with the Bristol Dirt Nationals scheduled March 15-20 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, and Whitener has already made plans to attend that history-making week at the high-banked speedbowl in upper East Tennessee.

Barring mechanical troubles on their cars, a possible late-season surge by Jake Knowles or a firm commitment to run the final two events by Whitener, it looks like the title battle will slim down to a showdown between Dylan Knowles and Welshan.

There isn’t much space between them with two races remaining on the schedule, and both drivers are prepared for the final stretch.

The Winter Shootout Series is coming off a very successful three-race weekend at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., and both drivers survived the weekend, despite frustrations. They emerged from the high-stress visit to the Sunshine State separated by just eight points in the chase for the $2,500 championship.

Welshan visibly struggled with the notoriously-difficult facility, but got pointed in the right direction on the final night with a fifth-place showing, which was his best finish of the weekend.

“I just wasn’t taught to race on a surface like this one,” Welshan said after the final race of the weekend. “It’s way different dirt than where I started. I’ve never been a wheelspin type of racer, but I can tell you people in my home area don’t have a clue unless they’ve been here previously. It’s a very challenging place, and I’ve never been anywhere in the country and applied the same stuff to either my car or my driving style that we had to use down here.

“I was very frustrated all week, but we never gave up and got out of here with a good finish on the final night. There ain’t no quit in my bunch, and while this racing deal can be the most humbling sport you’ll ever find, we kept diggin’ and we’ll definitely be back here, even though I said all weekend we’d absolutely never return. We’ll take the last night’s results as a positive, and head for the final two races.”

Knowles had better luck in his efforts, placing eighth, third and 11th in the three races at East Bay. It was a confidence boost considering his lack of experience at the track, and a bigger shot in the arm to emerge with the points lead.

“We planned to run the whole Winter Shootout Series from the start, and we came into the weekend at East Bay [Raceway Park] kind of down about our chances, but we ended up having a good weekend and taking over the points lead,” Knowles said. “It’s been a learning experience for us, and especially at both Volusia [Speedway Park] and East Bay.

“We were pretty confident we could run good, and we’re maybe feeling a little better now about our team and equipment after having a good weekend. Leading the points is a real good feeling, but it’s far from over.”

SEBRING, Fla. – One year after suffering a last-lap heartbreak, Thomas Merrill raced to redemption with a last-lap pass to win Sunday’s Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli TA2 season opener at Sebring Int’l Raceway.

The win capped a last-to-first charge by Merrill, as he took the lead on the final lap in the final corner.

Rafa Matos, the 2019 TA2 champion, finished second. Defending TA2 champion Mike Skeen took third.

Merrill led only the final few moments to win in the No. 81 HP Tuners/Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang.

Starting on the pole, Merrill went spinning off course in Turn 3 as a fierce fight for the lead saw several cars going side by side in the opening moments of the race. The off course trip saw Merrill fall to 23rd in the 25-car field.

He recovered and methodically worked his way up to second, but was running out of laps when a red flag set up a green-white-checkered finish.

The calculated last-lap push to the win earned Merrill the Chill Out Moment of the Race as well as a lot of satisfaction after having spun out of the lead in turn three in last year’s Sebring race.

“It was a lot of fun going side by side with some of the best racers in the country,” said Merrill of his late race battles with Matos and Skeen. “That’s what you need in a series. If you’re going to race that fast and that close with that little grip, you need someone you can trust and someone professional beside you. It was just a lot of fun today.

“I was pretty fired up after my early spin but this car is so easy to drive it made me look good all the way up through the field. Halfway through I stopped being angry and just started enjoying Trans-Am racing!”

Matos dominated the race in his return to the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Ford Mustang. He took the lead on the third lap and led up until the final lap, finishing 0.612-seconds behind.

However, he lost power steering with 10 laps remaining, and was at a disadvantage on the last restart.

“It wasn’t our day,” Matos said. “I’m completely tired and my arms are very sore. Now, we’ll have to wait until Road Atlanta. We came here this weekend thinking about the points, we have to finish every race in order to win the championship, so it was a points weekend for us. I thought I had it covered. I had a great run, but had an unfortunate problem with the power steering which took away our chance for victory today.

“Congrats to Thomas. I am sure that I will be on the podium with these two guys (Thomas Merrill and Mike Skeen) throughout the season.”

Skeen began his TA2 title defense by completing the podium in his new No. 1 Liqui-Moly/Turn 14 Distribution Chevrolet Camaro, running in the top three for the entire event.

He was only .692 seconds behind at the checkered flag.

“It’s been a tough weekend here with our new car,” said Skeen. “The Liqui-Moly Stevens Miller Racing guys were doing a lot of work to get us up to speed. We missed it a little bit in qualifying and started a little bit back, but we are happy to be here on the podium. These two guys had cars we just couldn’t touch. I tried to give them a run for their money on the restart and make it a little bit interesting.

“Congratulations to Thomas (Merrill) for such a great comeback, especially after last year.”

Michael Self took fourth in the No. 7 Sinclair Oil Corporation Camaro, followed by Franklin Futrelle in the No. 58 Innoviv/BH/IGOR/SecurTech Mustang and Masters winner Doug Peterson in the No. 87 3-Dimensional Mustang.

The late drama came about after Connor Mosack had an off-course excursion in Bishop’s Bend on board the No. 28 Nic Taylor/FS M1-SLR Camaro on the 24th of 27 laps, setting up the green-white-checkered finish.

Misha Goikhberg got off to a great start in the No. 10 BC Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro, going from third-place starting position to take the lead as the top four drivers jostled for position. Goikhberg led two laps before Matos took the lead and began to pull away.

A full-course caution waved on the third lap when Jim Gallaugher spun in turn seven and could not continue in the No. 16 Madison Development Group/MCR Ford Mustang.

During the caution, Scott Lagasse Jr. pitted from fourth place and parked the No. 92 SLR Chevrolet Camaro with mechanical issues. The owner/driver hopped atop his pit box and began coaching teammate Mosack, who was running seventh in the No. 28 Nic Taylor/FS M1-SLR Camaro and worked his way up to third before his incident at Bishop’s Bend.

Goikhberg’s strong day ended when he parked the No. 10 Camaro with mechanical issues after nine laps as four laps later, Edward Savadjian’s day ended when he pulled off in the No. 8 Big Machine Vodka Camaro. He had been running fifth, challenging Merrill for fourth.

Other drivers to suffer late-race misfortune included Tyler Kicera, who lost fuel pressure while running sixth in the No. 5 Silver Hare Racing Mustang on lap 17, and TA2 debutant Adrian Wlostowski, who cut a tire in the No. 3 Hawk Performance F.A.S.T. Auto Camaro while battling for a top-10 finish after 20 laps.

Next up for TA2 competitors will be the Atlanta Speed Tour, March 26-28 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

SEBRING, Fla. – Chris Dyson passed Ernie Francis Jr. in turn one on the final lap to complete a last-to-first victory in Sunday’s Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli season opener at Sebring Int’l Raceway.

Electing to change Pirelli tires before the start, Dyson gave up his second-row grid position and started at the back of the 22-car grid. Undeterred, he charged through the field in the No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang for his seventh-career TA victory in the caution-free event.

“Coming down and fighting with Ernie (Francis Jr.) is why we come here to race, he and I both come here and use each other as a benchmark.,” Dyson said. “The good Lord was looking down on us today, I am so blessed to be here. I’ve been down here for a week trying to prepare. I miss my family and I’m just happy to bring a win home.

“We didn’t have much of a choice after yesterday’s qualifying other than to change the tires and start from the back,” explained Dyson. “I was hoping for a yellow, but it never came, so I just had to drive my head off.”

Francis Jr. led nearly all the way in the No. 98 Future Star/Breathless Racing Ford Mustang to begin his quest for an eighth-consecutive Trans Am title.

Francis Jr. held off relentless pressure from both Tomy Drissi and later Dyson before finishing second, .659 seconds back.

“It was a really hard-fought battle with Chris Dyson out there,” said Francis Jr. “It’s always disappointing coming in second after leading most of the race. I have to thank my Breathless Racing team. They gave me a great car all weekend and we barely had to do anything to the car between sessions, it was there and it was on point all weekend. A little mistake by me in the race allowed Chris to get by, and I just burned up the equipment during the race.

“I will have to work on that for the next one.”

Adam Andretti finished third in the No. 43 ECC/Anchor Bolt & Screw Dodge Challenger, in the thick of the battle throughout the race before falling back with ignition box problems.

Francis pulled away at the start, but Drissi began trimming the lead in the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro. Drissi managed to briefly pull ahead at the start/finish line with 10 laps remaining, but Francis retook the lead in turn one.

Two laps later, Drissi spun in Turn 5 – costing him two positions and 30 seconds.

“Sorry guys,” Drissi said on his radio. “Big picture. Big picture.”

Dyson had taken third from Andretti moments before the Drissi spin and was 4.275-seconds behind Francis Jr. He nosed ahead with three laps remaining but spun, putting Francis Jr. back out front.

Dyson didn’t lose much ground and continued the charge, regaining the lead on the final lap.

Justin Marks took fifth in the No. 99 Ave Motorsports, followed by Amy Ruman in the No. 23 McNichols Co./Cornertech/CNC Solutions Corvette.

In SGT, Justin Oakes took his second victory in three races driving the No. 11 Droneworks Corvette.

“I had a blast out there,” said Oakes. “The whole team came together to give me a beast of a car. We made a lot of changes to it going into this race. We didn’t get any testing done because of the conditions in Texas (COTA), but we showed up and everything worked great. I want to thank my competitors. I came to this series basically to race with guys like Lee (Saunders) and Mike (Phillips) and everyone else, and had so much fun doing it.”

Defending series champion Lee Saunders led the opening four laps in the No. 84 Landsearch LLC Dodge Viper. Oakes needed five laps to take the lead, going on to win by 20 seconds.

Phillips took third in his Trans Am debut, driving the No. 97 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Corvette. Aaron Pierce was in position for a podium finish before losing oil pressure with nine laps remaining.

Fourth-place finisher Lou Gigliotti was the Masters winner in SGT. He blew the head gasket in his No. 28 LG Motorsports Corvette during qualifying. His participation was doubtful when his team could not find a spare part.

Fortunately, a late-night search ended at a local junkyard where a Corvette was found and the needed part was procured.

Philip Di Pippo topped the podium for the GT class in the No. 94 Sasco Sports Ford Mustang.

Round two for Trans-Am competitors will be the Atlanta Speed Tour, March 26-28 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With a masterful drive over the final eight laps, Christopher Bell chased down Joey Logano and went on to take his first NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday on the Daytona Int’l Speedway road course.

Bell restarted seventh when the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 went back green for the final time on lap 63 of 70, and methodically picked his way through the field behind the wheel of the No. 20 Rheem Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The Norman, Okla., native got to third in less than a lap after the restart, but was held up for nearly two laps around the 3.61-mile, 14-turn circuit before finally dispatching Kurt Busch for second coming to five to go.

At that point, Bell had 3.4 seconds to make up if he wanted to catch Logano for the victory, as well as the threat of a tire rub following contact with Busch in the battle for second.

But Bell put his head down, dug deep and put on a drive for the ages. He cut the deficit to a second and a half over the next three laps, then caught Logano exiting the infield section with a lap and a half to go.

The forward drive provided by Bell’s fresher tires – put on during a caution for light rain with 15 laps left – paid dividends through the bus stop chicane, as Bell got alongside Logano coming to the white flag and completed the pass for the win through the frontstretch chicane.

Bell drove away to a 2.119-second margin of victory over the course of the final lap.

“This is definitely one of the highlights of my life so far,” Bell said in victory lane. “I’m just so incredibly thankful to be here at Joe Gibbs Racing with all of our partners – Rheem, DeWalt, Pristine Auction, Toyota, TRD. Thank you to Jack Irving and Tyler Gibbs. You guys believed in me since day one. It feels like I’ve prepared my whole life for this moment to race in the Cup Series, and now to win in the Cup Series.

“Last year was a huge learning curve for me, and I’m very grateful that I got the opportunity to run in Cup, because it definitely prepared me to move for Joe Gibbs Racing and I think we showed that today.”

Admittedly, Bell didn’t think he’d be able to catch Logano once he got past Busch for second place and had more than three seconds to try and make up.

“After we pitted, I liked where we lined up, but then the yellows kept coming and I thought the yellows were hurting me … because I felt like I needed laps to get back up through there,” Bell noted. “Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to get there, but Adam (Stevens, crew chief) up on the pit box kept telling me I was going to get there. I didn’t believe it, but he really struggled coming out of (turn) six one time and allowed me to close the gap.

“I wish my wife was here to celebrate with me, but man … this is awesome.”

Behind Bell and Logano, Denny Hamlin crossed the line third, followed by Busch and Brad Keselowski.

Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular A.J. Allmendinger, Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman filled out the top 10.

Polesitter Chase Elliott dominated the race, leading 44 of the first 57 laps, topping the first stage and appearing to be on his way to a fifth-straight points-paying win in the NASCAR Cup Series.

However, his efforts came unraveled when nine drivers stayed out during the lap-56 caution for weather that shuffled the order of the frontrunners, as well as the strategy for the closing stages.

Elliott was hampered by a slow pit stop, which dropped him to 14th for the ensuing restart with 12 to go, as well as an off-track excursion at turn four when he was run wide by Corey LaJoie.

The defending Cup Series champion got back to fifth with six laps left, but was turned around in turn six by Hamlin while trying to pass Keselowski for fourth place. Elliott ended up with a 21st-place finish.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action Feb. 28 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway with the running of the Dixie Vodka 400. Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the event.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled top prospect Trevor Zegras from their AHL affiliate in San Diego, setting the stage for the 19-year-old forward's much-anticipated NHL debut.

The Ducks made the move Sunday. They play at Arizona on Monday night, although Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins didn't confirm Zegras will play immediately.

Zegras had four goals and five assists in eight games for San Diego, getting off to a blazing start with his first professional team. A few weeks before joining the Gulls, Zegras was named the MVP of the World Junior Championships, racking up seven goals and 11 assists while leading the U.S. team to the gold medal.

Zegras was the ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft, and Ducks fans have clamored for the New York native's debut since he signed a professional contract last year after playing for Boston University during the 2019-20 season.

No team in the league needs Zegras' offensive gifts more than the last-place Ducks, who are last in the NHL with just 33 goals in 18 games (1.83 per game).

Anaheim (6-9-3) has scored only one goal in nine of its 18 games, and its power play is the NHL's second-worst with a 7.5% success rate.

Zegras has played center extensively, but he skated on the left wing Sunday at practice in Anaheim alongside center Sam Steel and right wing Jakob Silfverberg. He also played left wing in San Diego.

While the Ducks appear to be heading nowhere this season as they attempt to avoid their third straight year out of the playoffs, their farm system remains promising. Mobile defenseman Jamie Drysdale, the sixth overall pick last year, has racked up three goals and five assists in his first eight games in San Diego.

LOS ANGELES – Tiger Woods spoke publicly for the first time since he underwent his fifth back surgery, but the 45-year-old didn’t appear poised for another comeback.

“I’m feeling fine. I’m a little stiff. I have one more MRI scheduled so that we’ll see if the annulus is scared over finally and then I can start doing more activities,” Woods said during Sunday's CBS telecast of the Genesis Invitational. “Still in the gym, still doing the mundane stuff that you have to do for rehab. The little things where I can start gravitating toward something more.”

Specific to when he might play next, Woods was asked if he planned to be at Augusta National for this April's Masters Tournament.

“God, I hope so,” he said.

Woods, who is the host of this week’s event at Riviera Country Club, announced in January that he wouldn’t be able to play the Genesis Invitational or the Farmers Insurance Open because of the surgery. He was also qualified for next week’s World Golf Championships event in Bradenton, Florida, but skipped that event, as well.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational, which he’s won eight times, is the week after the WGC at Concession, followed by The Players Championship and the Honda Classic, which is a home game for Woods, but the world No. 48 didn’t sound as if he was ramping up his golf activities any time soon.

Asked by CBS announcer Jim Nantz specifically about his game, Woods only mentioned his putting.

“I lengthened my putter, I don’t have to bend over as far,” he smiled. “I’ve gone to the same length as my sand wedge. I do a lot of putting drills, blading the sand wedge so I figured, I do a lot with that why don’t I just lengthen my putter, so I did and it helped.”

A day after punishing the field with help from the wind, Riviera Country Club didn’t disappoint as the stage to an exciting Sunday finish at the Genesis Invitational, where it was Max Homa and not Tony Finau winning his second PGA Tour title in a playoff. Here’s everything you need to know:

Leaderboard: Max Homa (-12; won on second playoff hole), Tony Finau (-12), Sam Burns (-11), Cameron Smith (-9), Jon Rahm (-7), Viktor Hovland (-7), Matt Fitzpatrick (-7)

What it means: A few times on Sunday it looked as if Finau would no longer have to answer to people questioning why he hasn't added to his maiden Tour win, which came at the 2016 Puerto Rico Open. But Homa had other plans, hitting some clutch shots down the stretch and overcoming a brutal lip-out on his 72nd hole to win for the first time since breaking through at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship. The 30-year-old Homa, who was born in nearby Burbank, California, first attended the annual Riviera event when he was 2 years old. Finau, who bogeyed the second playoff hole, now has 10 runner-up finishes since his Puerto Rico win.

How it happened: Burns began Sunday’s final round with a two-shot advantage and chasing his first Tour victory. He wasn’t slow to get out of the gates, either. He birdied two of his first three holes and then stuck approach shots at Nos. 7 and 9 to set up two more birdies as part of a 4-under 31 on the opening nine. But the 24-year-old LSU product couldn’t sustain. He got a lucky bounce back in bounds after pulling his drive into the trees at No. 12, but he still bogeyed the hole. He’d also bogeyed Nos. 14 and 15 to fall out of the lead.

Meanwhile, Finau drained a 9-footer for birdie at the par-3 16th and followed with an up-and-down birdie at the par-5 17th hole to help grab the clubhouse lead at 12 under. Homa only carded two birdies on the back side yet teed off on No. 18 tied with the already finished Finau for the lead. Homa then stuck his approach shot from 128 yards to about 3 feet, only to lip out the birdie roll and send the tournament into a playoff.

Homa said he quickly forgave himself, which ended up helping him on the opening playoff hole, the par-4 10th, where Homa's drive went long of the green and nestled up against a tree trunk. Needing to hook a chip, Homa somehow found the green and managed to tie the hole with par after Finau missed a hard-breaking 7-footer for the win. After Finau found sand off the tee at the par-3 14th, the second extra hole, Homa got aggressive and landed his tee shot left of the hole, about 12 feet away. Homa easily two-putted and Finau couldn't get up and down to continue the playoff.

Round of the day: Finau’s closing 7-under 64 equaled his career-best final round on Tour and was two shots better than anyone else in the field on Sunday. He carded eight birdies, all but one of which came from inside of 10 feet.

Shot(s) of the day: The dart by Homa into No. 18 and his magical playoff escape on No. 10.

Biggest disappointment: Dustin Johnson. The world No. 1 kept pace early before fading mightily on the back nine. A sloppy bogey on the short par-4 10th hole low-lighted a stretch of five bogeys in eight holes. Johnson's closing 72 left him six back of the playoff.

Quote of the day: "Been watching this tournament my whole life, it's why I fell in love with golf – wow, didn't think it'd be like this (choking up). Tiger another reason I'm into golf. Had good feelings this week. Been playing great. City of champions, you know – Dodgers, Lakers and me now, so it's a weird feeling." – Homa

Max Homa defeated Tony Finau in a two-hole playoff Sunday to win the Genesis Invitational. Here's the prize money and FedExCup points breakdowns for Homa and the rest of the players who made the cut at Riviera:

LOS ANGELES – Tony Finau has gotten used to unpacking potentially painful losses. His runner-up showing at the Genesis Invitational will be no different.

Finau admitted it was a “bittersweet” Sunday at Riviera Country Club. He closed with a 7-under 64, which was the round of the day by two shots, to force a playoff. He then lost the playoff to Max Homa on the second extra hole, the par-3 14th, following a poor tee shot. He also missed a 7-footer for victory on the first playoff hole, the short par-4 10th.

“Anytime I've had a chance to win, I haven't been the guy that went low and today I was, so I can take a lot of confidence from that,” Finau said. “That's something that I wanted to happen today to just prove to myself on Sundays that I can put myself in the thick of it and shoot a number and I was able to do that this week.”

Near misses have become a theme for Finau, especially this season. He began the final round last month at The American Express tied for the lead but closed with a 68 and finished fourth. A week later at the Farmers Insurance Open, he was again in contention to start the final day yet tied for second after a final-round 69.

Although he’s five years removed from his lone PGA Tour victory in Puerto Rico, a span that now includes 10 worldwide runner-up finishes, Finau has five top-10 finishes in nine starts this season and doesn’t appear to be under any added pressure to win.

“I grew up trying to win every tournament I play, nothing's changed,” Finau said. “I know at the end of the day you're going to lose a lot more times than you're going to win on the PGA Tour. Unfortunately for me that's come really close in the last few years. But I always challenge myself to play good golf and that's all I try to do.”

LOS ANGELES – Tony Finau’s first reaction as he walked toward the 10^th green and noticed a golf ball resting up against one of Riviera Country Club’s ubiquitous trees was: “I hope it wasn't my ball.”

It wasn't. The unlucky bounce on the first playoff hole at the Genesis Invitational actually went to Max Homa, who had finished regulation tied with Finau at 12 under after missing a 3-footer for birdie at the 72^nd hole.

“He was very calm for what I thought that we couldn’t hit the green [from beside the tree],” Homa’s caddie, Joe Greiner, said. “He goes, ‘I got it.’ He thought he could actually hit it closer than that and I was thinking just hit the fringe 15 feet away.”

Homa chipped a hooded 50-degree wedge onto the green to 12 feet for a two-putt par to match Finau. He won the event on the next hole with a par after Finau missed the green at the par-3 14^th hole and failed to get up and down.

“I hit a good tee ball, I pulled it probably 5 yards left of where Tony was, which is kind of where you wanted to hit it,” Homa said. “What are you going to be mad about when you make a good swing when you're nervous? Obviously had a weird looking shot but I had a shot, which is cool.”