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01/18 21:01 CST Chris Gotterup opens PGA Tour season by winning Sony Open for his 3rd straight year with a title Chris Gotterup opens PGA Tour season by winning Sony Open for his 3rd straight year with a title By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer HONOLULU (AP) --- Chris Gotterup opened the new PGA Tour season with three big birdies on the back nine that carried him to a 6-under 64 and a two-shot victory in the Sony Open, his third straight season with a victory as he moves closer to golf's A-list. Gotterup was two shots behind when he took advantage of a collapse by 54-hole leader Davis Riley and then poured it on with a mixture of power and putting along the back nine of breezy Waialae Country Club to keep everyone else from catching him. Gotterup, who finished at 16-under 264, moves to No. 17 in the world. He was at No. 195 in the world when he left the Sony Open a year ago. "I just felt like this week I was in a good frame of mind, just happy to be here," Gotterup said. "I felt like I was in control of my brain, which is the most important thing. I drove it great and made some putts when it mattered." Ryan Gerard birdied his last two holes for a 65 to finish alone in second. He flew to Mauritius at the end of last year and was runner-up to move into the top 50 and secure a spot in his first Masters. Now he's just outside the top 30. Patrick Rodgers had another chance at his first PGA Tour victory, but he went without a birdie on the back nine until the final hole. He closed with a 65 to finish third. Gotterup won the Scottish Open last year by outplaying Rory McIlroy, and he won the opposite-field Myrtle Beach Classic in his rookie season. Riley started with a two-shot lead and stayed two ahead with a pair of birdies through the opening five holes. And then it all fell part quickly --- three-putt bogeys from long range on the sixth and seventh, and a wild tee shot into the trees that led to double bogey on the eighth. That stretch took from two shots ahead to three shots behind, and Riley never caught up. Gotterup had a host of players chasing him, but not for long. Even on an old-school Waialae course with doglegs framed by royal palms, he pounded away with tee shots of 330-plus yards early on the back nine. But it was his putter that ultimately made a difference. Gotterup holed a 20-footer on No. 12, and then poured in a 25-foot putt on the 13th, the toughest hole on the course. He all but clinched it with a tee shot that landed perfectly between the pin and the bunker on the par-3 17th for a final birdie. The Sony Open was the latest start to the PGA Tour season because The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui was canceled due to a water dispute that had the course brown in September. The final round at Waialae was played under a vibe that this might be the last of Hawaii on the tour. The Sony Open title sponsorship expires this year, and there is a movement to start the tour season later than ever in 2027 and going forward, either right before or after the Super Bowl. ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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