Honda Classic: Keith Mitchell makes birdie on the final hole to win maiden PGA Tour title in Florida event

Leaderboard

-9 Keith Mitchell

-8 Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka

-7 Ryan Palmer, Lucas Glover

-6 Vijay Singh

Day four report

With big guns Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka waiting in the clubhouse expecting to take part in a play-off, Mitchell stepped up to the 18th tee knowing a birdie would clinch his first PGA Tour title - and promptly fired a driver into the bunker.

Forced to lay up, world number 162 Mitchell then hit a nice approach to 15-and-a-half feet, and he managed to banish the nerves that were surely circulating around his body to find the bottom of the cup to seal the win.

Mitchell birdied four of his last seven holes at PGA National to card a closing 67 and finish nine-under-par, a shot ahead of three-time major winner Koepka and his Ryder Cup team-mate Fowler.

Koepka, the reigning US Open and US PGA champion, had birdied the 16th and 18th in his closing 66 to set a target matched by Fowler thanks to three birdies in the last four holes.

Mitchell told Sky Sports: "It's not even close to sinking in. I don't expect it to, I don't want it to, this is just awesome. Playing like I did coming down the stretch is unbelievable.

"I have a 9:25am tee-time tomorrow so I might have to take it easy (tonight) but I might just put some sunglasses on or something!"

Ryan Palmer had set the early target after charging through the field with a superb 63 and then faced a lengthy wait to see if he would become the first player to win a PGA Tour event after starting the final round outside the top 30.

Palmer's seven-under-par total was matched by Lucas Glover and eventually overtaken by Koepka, while Vijay Singh also missed out on creating history after a closing 70 left him in sixth place.

The 56-year-old Fijian had been attempting to become the oldest winner on the PGA Tour, surpassing the record set by the 52-year-old Sam Snead in 1965, but mixed three birdies with three bogeys on the back nine.

Day three report

Rookie Wyndham Clark will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Honda Classic - where two big names are among the chasing pack.

Clark again putted beautifully on his way to a round of 67, but a rare birdie miss at the final hole kept his advantage at one and there's much work still to do if he's to secure a breakthrough PGA Tour win.

KH Lee, Keith Mitchell and veteran Vijay Singh are in closest pursuit on six-under, just one behind, but it's the names Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka which underline the size of the task at hand.

Fowler burst through the field with a round of 66, just one worse than the best-of-the-day 65 carded by Singh, and he's lurking ominously in fifth place, two off the lead, as he goes in pursuit of both his second Honda Classic win and second title of 2019.

One shot further back lies Koepka, who bounced back from a double-bogey at the second hole to post a level-par 70 and keep his title hopes alive on what's a jam-packed leaderboard.

Some 28 players are within five of the leader but it's Clark who is the man to catch.

Day two report

Im Sung-jae shot a second-round six-under-par 64 to hold a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.

The South Korean followed up his opening 70 with a round with featured seven birdies and one bogey to head the leaderboard alongside American Keith Mitchell, who went round in 66.

Another American Lucas Glover was a shot further back after a 69, ahead of a group of nine players on four under, including three-time major champion Brooks Koepka, who also carded a 69.

Overnight leader Jhonattan Vegas could only manager a 73, making two double bogeys, as he slipped back to three under, alongside Sergio Garcia.

The likes of 2012 winner Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are among the star names who have opted to skip the £5million tournament.

Day one report

Jhonattan Vegas opened up a two-shot lead after the first round of the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.

With the likes of 2012 winner Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods among the star names to skip the £5million tournament, Vegas took advantage.

The Venezuelan carded a six-under par 64, producing birdies at the third, seventh, 12th, 13th, 17th and 18th to sit clear at the top of the leaderboard.

He told the PGA Tour website: "Obviously I feel it went pretty well today. I hit my irons probably better than I've hit them all year.

"I've always liked this golf course, I think it suits me."

Zach Johnson, 2008 champion Ernie Els, Ben Silverman and Lucas Glover are in a share of second at four under.

Sergio Garcia, 2017 winner Rickie Fowler and Charl Schwartzel are among the players one shot further back, while defending champion Justin Thomas is two under following a 68.