PGA Tour Bermuda Championship: Brendon Todd wins by four shots

Leaderboard

-24 Todd

-20 Higgs

-18 Lebioda, Wise, Gay, Scheffler

-17 Gomez

Final round report

Brendon Todd completed his comeback as a PGA Tour professional with a commanding four-shot victory in the Bermuda Championship.

A winner in 2014, Todd then suffered a remarkable fall down the world rankings, missing 23 cuts in 25 starts in 2016 and competing in just 14 events over the following two years.

At the start of 2019, Todd was outside the world's top 2000 and struggling for starts, but having pieced his game back together he's now a winner once more.

"A year ago, I wasn't sure if I was going to keep playing," he confirmed, after a final-round 62 saw him beat Harry Higgs by four.

"It means a ton. I'm just overcome with emotion right now."

Todd effectively put this brand new event to bed with seven birdies in the opening eight holes of the final round, with Higgs making double-bogey at the seventh to fall five behind.

Further birdies at the 10th and 11th holes had Todd in an unassailable lead, and when he tapped in at the 15th hole for a 10th birdie of the day, the American had eyes on a sub-60 round.

Pars at the 16th and 17th holes ended that hope and he made a scrappy bogey at the last, but it did not matter - the hard work had been done, not just over the previous 71 holes, but the previous 18 months.

Having battled swing yips, meaning he was shooting huge scores at Qualifying School at the end of 2018, Todd had strongly considered quitting before finding a coach who could help with his mindset.

Having gradually rediscovered the elements of his game which saw him rank as high as 40th in the world in 2014, Todd had been rewarded with a runner-up finish on the Korn Ferry Tour in summer to earn back his playing rights.

Still, a run of four missed cuts to start the season suggested further toil awaited, until 28th place in Texas hinted at what was to come.

Having been in the mix throughout, he quickly reeled in rookie Higgs on Sunday and had the tournament safely pocketed early enough to enjoy a hard-earned victory parade.

Third round report

Harry Higgs will take a two-shot lead into the final day of the inaugural Bermuda Championship after shooting a second successive round of 65.

The 27-year-old, who shared the overnight lead with fellow Americans Brendon Todd and Scottie Scheffler, hit seven birdies and one bogey to move clear of the field.

Todd, who posted a 63 in the second round, carded a 67 after a dropped shot at the 14th spoiled his five birdies.

Scheffler dropped to fifth after a 69, with Americans Bo Hoag and Brian Gay climbing up the leaderboard to tie in third after rounds of 64 and 65 respectively.

Scotland's Russell Knox and Argentina's Fabian Gomez are the only non-Americans in the top 10 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton.

Knox followed rounds of 64 and 68 with a three-under 69 and is tied for sixth, while Gomez climbed six places for a share of 10th after carding a 66.

Second round report

Brendon Todd finished with four straight birdies as he moved into a three-way tie at the top of the Bermuda Championship leaderboard going into the weekend.

Todd, starting on the back nine, signed for a 63 after birdies on six of the final eight holes, moving him level with overnight leader Scottie Scheffler and Harry Higgs on 11 under for the tournament.

Scheffler could not match his opening 62 as he carded three bogies on the back nine to sign for a 69.

Two of our Ben Coley's selections Boo Weekley (200/1) and Russell Knox (22/1) are going well and are just off the lead at halfway.

First round report

The 23-year-old, in only his fifth start on the main tour since topping the Korn Ferry Tour points list last season, bogeyed the par-four ninth to spoil a card which had an eagle and eight birdies on it as he went to the turn in 29.

Scheffler admitted the magic number of 59 entered his head at one stage.

"You think about it a little bit," Scheffler told the PGA Tour website. "The eagle putt on seven was pretty close and then on eight, felt like I hit a pretty good putt, just misread it. I guess kind of lost a little momentum."

Scheffler says he is getting more used to life on the PGA Tour after making the step up.

"I think it's just a lot busier out here," Scheffler added. "The courses are maybe a little bit harder, but the golf's not much of an adjustment. There's just a little more activity, a lot more of you guys, more club reps, more people around. Kind of try and stay in my own place."

Fellow American Wes Roach was second after he too took five shots on the ninth, while bogey-free Scotsman Russell Knox, Rob Oppenheim and Bo Hoag all shot 64s for seven under.

"It's kind of a dream start to come out here and birdie seven of the first eight," Oppenheim said. "Made a lot of putts. I didn't play much different, just the putter was hot one nine and kind of a little cold the last nine."