Kevin Yu shot a 5-under 67 in the final round to reach 23 under and advance to a playoff with Bo Hossler at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
He birdied just one extra hole for his first PGA Tour win.
He had six birdies that day, including one bogey, but the birdie on No. 18 that set him up for the playoffs may have been his biggest birdie.
Yu remained calm throughout Sunday's round. He said the September break helped him mentally regroup.
“I'm just tired, frustrated, and I've felt like I can't stop going for the last six months,” Yu said.
“I set a goal today that if I could shoot 5 or 6 under, I would have a chance, so that was my focus today. So I just did the best I could and made every shot the best I could. Try to do that. We did a pretty good job there today.”
He picked up 1.991 shots on the field and ranked eighth in the field in strokes gained putts.
His putting was his biggest strength all week. Through four rounds, he recorded an 8.679 strokes gained putt, which placed him second on the week.
Needless to say, Yu tied for first in total strokes gained with a score of 12.519.
In his 56th PGA Tour start, he can finally call himself a winner, and he did it in front of his parents. Needless to say, he won the Rooster, one of the coolest trophies awarded on the PGA Tour.
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images
“It's literally a dream come true. I've been dreaming of this moment since I was 5 years old,” Yu said. “I'm thankful for my parents who are here now. My dad taught me to play golf since I was five years old. They worked hard and sacrificed a lot. I miss them. I wouldn't have been able to do this today.”
This performance completely changed the schedule for 2025.
With this victory, Yu moved up to 60th place in the FedEx Cup fall rankings. If he retains his spot, he will compete in the Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational signature events.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
