Emiliano Grillo survives late collapse to win Charles Schwab Challenge and $1.5m prize

Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo survived a memorable double bogey on his 72nd hole to beat Adam Schenk on the second playoff hole to win the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday.

Grillo earned his second career PGA Tour win, seven years and seven months after his first, in October 2015.

“They say the second is harder than the first, and it sure was,” Grillo said on the CBS broadcast. “I’m on top of the world right now.”

After Grillo and Schenk replayed the par-4 18th hole and each made a par, they moved to the par-3 16th at Colonial Country Club. Grillo’s tee shot rolled to within five feet and Schenk flew his ball over the green.

Schenk made Grillo work for it when he played his second shot to within 2 1/2 feet of the pin. But Grillo’s left-to-right birdie putt was never in doubt.

Grillo endured a tough 18th hole, but came back to win on the second Texas playoff hole

Grillo shot a final round of 68 and Schenk had a 72 ahead of them to finish both at 8-under 272, though Grillo had a two-stroke lead when he hit his tee shot at number 18.

The shot flew to the extreme right and landed in a stream of water in the middle of a footpath. According to the CBS broadcast, the water carried the ball back about 100 yards toward the tee box before a small rock stopped it. Grillo took a penalty stroke and dropped his ball on the path where the ball entered the stream.

He reached the green in four and two putts.

“Today I made a double at 18 and honestly I didn’t care,” Grillo said of his perspective. “Of course I would have loved to have it on 72, but to finish with some great swings, great swings there on 18, two great birdies on 16.”

Grillo had a busy front nine, making four birdies and two bogeys as he began to claw his way to the top. He added birdies on Nos. 12 and 16 — the latter on a putt nearly 20 feet — to hit 10 under for his adventurous double bogey.

Schenk, who went 66-67-67 to start the tournament, posted three bogeys through his first 13 holes and landed his only birdie of the day on the par-3 16th. His shot there landed short and to the right, but bounced off the green, caught a ramp, and rolled to 8 feet, where he made the birdie putt that eventually put him in the playoffs.

There was a bizarre moment on the 18th hole when Grillo’s ball floated through a drainage canal

He ended up having to play from the cart and got a double bogey to start a playoff

England’s Harry Hall, who held at least part of the lead after each of the first three rounds, made a birdie on his first two holes of the day before carding five bogeys for a final round of 73. He was tied with Schenk and Grillo on 8 under steps to the 18th tee, but his drive sailed left and into a water hazard.

The 25-year-old PGA Tour rookie bogeyed to settle for a tie for third at 7-under with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, whose 67 marked the second hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career. At the par-3 eighth hole, he aimed for the pin and watched his ball jump a few and roll straight in.

“Just a three-quarter 7-iron,” Scheffler said. “Pretty much the exact same shot I hit there (Saturday). The tee box was a bit further up and there was a bit more wind in our faces, so it went pretty well. … That was certainly a lot of fun.’

Paul Haley II (final round 67) was fifth at 6 under. Rickie Fowler also shot a 67 to finish sixth at 5 under with Michael Kim (67) and defending champion Sam Burns (68). Max Homa (69), Mark Hubbard (69) and Kevin Streelman (71) tied for ninth place at 4 under.