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SHANGHAI – Xander Schauffele gave the Americans a sweep of the World Golf Championships and quickly put a winless sophomore season behind him.
Birds on his final three holes Sunday, the last one has two-putt birdie from about 30 feet on the par-5 18th hole to beat Tony Finau in a sudden-death playoff and win the HSBC Champions.
"When I was signing my card, I was like, 'Oh, wow, I actually went birdie-birdie to get in the playoff,'" Schauffele said. "I was just in my own world out there."
He began the tournament by celebrating his 25th birthday. Sheshan International for a 4-under 68, the lowest score in the final round, and his first victory in 13 months.
Scuffle won twice in his first year on the PGA Tour to win the rookie of the year. Last season featured high finishes but only one good luck when winning a runner-up in the Open Championship at Carnoustie.
Now he has three victories, the last two at the Tour Championship to end the 2017 season and now at the World Golf Championship.
Finau, who started the final round with a three-shot lead in his second PGA Tour-sanctioned victory, was ahead by one shot until Schauffele made an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, only the fourth player to make a birdie on that hole Sunday.
Defending champion Justin Rose missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 17th and went to the final hole two shots behind. Trying to make eagle, he went to the bunker to the rough to over the water, making a bogey for a 72 to finish four shots behind.
That meant Brooks Koepka, who was closed for a week and stayed there for a week.
Then it was a battle between the two Americans.
Finch faced a risky shot, with his ball sitting high in the rough, by going for the green. It narrowly cleared the water, leaving him an eagle of 35 feet. The second shot at the par-5 18th landed on the putting surface and rolled just over the back of the American said, "Sit!" six times before it settles just off the green.
He ran his eagle putt 3 feet by and made that for birdie. He and Finau finished at 14-under 274.
In the playoff, Schauffele again hit the fairway and hit 5-iron to the middle of the green. Finau went into the face of the bunker on the left, and had his third shot on the fringe. He missed his birdie to extend the playoff.
"Definitely feel like I'm one get away," said Finau, whose only PGA Tour victory was at the Puerto Rico Open two years ago. "Xander played incredible golf today." He posted a number and made a birdie on a playoff hole when he was counting, "He's playing nicely today and deserved to win."
The United States becomes the first country to win four World Golf Championships. Phil Mickelson won the Mexico Championship, Bubba Watson won the Dell Match Play, and Justin Thomas won the Bridgestone Invitational.
The Americans also won all four WGCs in 2013 when Tiger Woods won two of them, Matt Kuchar won the Match Play, and Dustin Johnson won in Shanghai. Americans now have won 41 of the 69 events since the World Golf Championships series in 1999. Woods has won 18 of them.
WGC title – Woods has made it all the time – and is on the way to the 13th and 14th holes. But he did not want to be a bunker, made bogey and could not catch up.
He needed to finish second to replace Koepka at No. 1 in the world.
"Tough day for everybody," Rose said, alluding to only three players shooting in the 60s in the final round. "You just look at the scoreboard." Seems like everyone fell apart. "It was a three-horse race.
He gets another chance to go back to No. 1 when he defends his title in the Turkish Airlines Open next week.
Rose's third shot to the 18th nicked Schauffele's ball, sending both balls down the slope and into the water. It was an indication of how close it was to the ball, but it was an indication of how close it was to trickling down the hill and into the water, which would have cost the tournament.
Schauffele, under strong consideration but left off the Ryder Cup as captain's pick, moved to No. 12 in the world.
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