Charl Schwartzel beats Bill Haas in playoff to win Valspar Championship

Coming up on five years since winning the Masters, Charl Schwartzel was starting to wonder if he would ever win again on American soil.

He didn’t have much reason to think that would change Sunday at the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor, Fla.

Schwartzel was five shots behind going into the final round on an Innisbrook course that was tougher than ever, and still three shots behind as he approached the toughest part of the Copperhead course.

What followed were extraordinary shots, and a playoff victory over Bill Haas.

All it took was a 65-foot birdie across the green on the 13th. Schwartzel got up and down for birdie from a tough lie in the bunker. His go-for-broke pitch from a dicey lie on the edge of the bunker on the 16th hole allowed him to save par. And he made a 25-foot birdie putt he couldn’t afford to miss on the 17th.

Schwartzel closed with a four-under-par 67 — the best score Sunday — and won on the first extra hole when Haas made bogey from a bunker.

“I just needed to get over the hurdle of winning out here again,� Schwartzel said. “And I think the way today played out with it being really difficult, you’re grinding just to make pars and keep the ball in play. I just needed to put it together on the weekend when it counted.�

He won for the third time in his last six events dating to December. The other two wins were in South Africa.

Haas had a two-shot lead with three holes to play, and he was torn between whether he let one get away or whether the South African simply won it. Schwartzel and Georgia senior Lee McCoy (69) were the only two players from the final nine groups to break par.

“Charl had the mentality of needing to shoot a good score, and he did, and that was a hard thing to do,� Haas said. “I had the mentality, ‘If I shoot even par, I win.’ Pars were kind of good. … I won’t beat myself up too bad. I’ve got to give Charl credit.�

The difference was Schwartzel’s making two long birdies, and Haas making bogey on the toughest hole at Innisbrook on No. 16. In the playoff, Haas hit into the trees, came up short into a bunker, and blasted out of the soft sand about 20 feet away and missed the par putt.

“That stuff happens,� Haas said about Schwartzel’s birdies. “That’s what winners do. And winners don’t bogey two of their last four holes they play.�

McCoy felt like as big of a winner as Schwartzel.

The 22-year-old in his final year of college grew up next to Innisbrook and made good on his first sponsor’s exemption. He played next to Jordan Spieth, the world’s No. 1 player, in the final round and looked like a pro on his way to finishing alone in fourth.

It was the best finish by an amateur in a PGA Tour event of top players since 17-year-old Justin Rose tied for fourth at the British Open in 1998 at Royal Birkdale. Robbie Shelton tied for third last year in the Barbasol Championship, held opposite the British Open.

McCoy would have earned $292,800 had he been a pro.

“It was even more fun than you can possibly imagine with it being my home course, being in contention on Sunday playing with the No. 1 player in the world who is an absolute gentleman all day long,� McCoy said. “It was really, really special.�

Spieth fell behind early, never caught up and closed with a 73 to tie for 18th, seven shots behind. He couldn’t help but applaud McCoy when he finished his round.

Schwartzel and Haas finished at seven-under 277.

It was the highest score to par to win on the PGA Tour since the Spieth won the U.S. Open at five under.

Hend wins Thailand Classic

Australia’s Scott Hend won the Thailand Classic at Hua Hin, closing with a four-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Thailand’s Piya Swangarunporn.

Hend finished at 18-under 270 at Black Mountain in the event sanctioned by the European and Asian tours. Piya had a tournament-record 63.

Lee Jung-Min captures World Ladies Championship

Lee Jung-Min won the World Ladies Championship on Sunday, beating fellow South Korean players Lee Seung-Hyun, Kim Bo-Kyung and Ji Han Sol in rainy conditions at Mission Hills in Hainan, China.

Lee Jung-Min closed with a six-under 66 for a 9-under 279 total on the Olazabal Course in the event sanctioned by the European, Korean and Chinese tours. She also won the team competition with Ko Jin-Young at 12 under. Kim finished with a 69, and Ji and Lee Seung-Hyun shot 71.