WGC - Cadillac Match Play

Rory McIlroy may have missed out on ringside seats for the big fight in Las Vegas, but the World Number One made amends by giving himself an early birthday present with victory in the WGC - Cadillac Match Play in San Francisco.

McIlroy, who turns 26 on Monday, defeated Gary Woodland 4 and 2 in the final at TPC Harding Park, his third win of the day after completing victory over Paul Casey in the quarter-finals and producing a brilliant finish to get the better of Jim Furyk in the last four.

The four-time Major winner made a scrappy start to the final before a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth took him four up at the turn and seemingly certain to win his second World Golf Championships title after victory in the Bridgestone Invitational last year.

However, after both players birdied the 10th, McIlroy bogeyed the 11th having failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker and Woodland reduced his deficit further thanks to driving the green on the short par four 12th and two-putting for birdie.

World Number 52 Woodland looked like winning another hole after McIlroy bogeyed the 13th, only to miss from two feet for par after a superb recovery from a greenside bunker.

And that proved to be the pivotal moment in the contest as Woodland then three-putted the 14th and made a mess of the 16th to give McIlroy the title.

Japan Golf Tour – The Crowns

Korean I.J. Jang has won his second Crowns Tournament in Nagoya, winning by four shots over Kazuhiro Yamashita, Hideto Tanihara and Tomohiro Kondo.

Jang won this event in 2012 and finished runner-up to Brendan Jones in 2011 so has a great record in this event.

Kurt Barnes finished as the leading Australian when he tied for 5th after weekend rounds of 68 and 66 while Brad Kennedy tied for 16th and Brendan Jones 21st.

Web.com – United Leasing Championship Presented by PTI

Alabama rookie Smylie Kaufman fired a 1-over-par 73 and coasted to a five-shot shot win at the United Leasing Championship presented by PTI. Kaufman finished with a 10-under 278 total, well in front of Jonathan Randolph (69), Adam Long (73) and Ryan Spears (74).

“I’m blown away. Shocked. I still can’t comprehend it all but I’m so excited about getting the win,” said Kaufman, who was making only his sixth career start. “It wasn’t perfect. I made mistakes all week. I just stayed composed and believed in what I was doing.”

Kaufman matched the course record Saturday with an 8-under-par 64 to stake himself to a four-shot lead to begin the final day at Victoria National Golf Club. Any realistic chance of catching him went out the window when Kaufman reeled off three straight birdies starting on the second hole.

“You always hear the television announcer talk about not playing to lose. I wasn’t going to do that,” said the 23-year old from Birmingham. “I was going to leave it all out there.”

Kaufman’s 11-under score quickly went to 14-under and his nearest challengers were eight shots backs and showing no signs of mounting a serious threat.

“When I got on the sixth I already felt like I had won,” admitted Kaufman. “I had to refocus. I looked at the leaderboard and knew I still had a lot of holes to play. That’s a big lead and the tendency is to tune out at that point.”

Sunshine Tour – Zambia Sugar Open

He hadn’t won on the Sunshine Tour since 2006, so Vaughn Groenewald really made it count on Sunday when he took the Zambia Sugar Open at Lusaka Golf Club by four strokes after a closing round of five-under-par 68.

He took his third title by holding off the challenge of Jean Hugo, who also finished with a 68, while Zimbabwe Open winner Dean Burmester finished with a two-under 71 to finish third, five shots behind Groenewald.

“I really didn’t know if I would ever win again over the last few years,” said Groenewald, “so I’m almost in tears thinking about it.”

Groenewald made a bogey on the second, but that was the only time he wavered as he quickly recovered from that lapse with two consecutive birdies, and he turned in one-under-par and very much in contention, if not in control. And then he put his foot on the pedal as he came home with four more birdies. “I had nothing to lose,” said Groenewald. “I just had to play. Luckily for me things went my way.”

He was drawn in the final group with Andrew Georgiou and Rhys Enoch, and both the younger men were unable to deal as well as Groenewald did with the pressure. “I wasn’t even nervous out there, except for a little bit towards the end,” he said.

PGA LatinoAmerica - Lexus Panama Classic presented by World Jewelry Hub

A two-shot win in tough windy conditions at the Lexus Panama Classic presented by World Jewelry Hub turned Rodolfo Cazaubón into a first-time champion on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica on Sunday.

The 25-year-old from hot and humid Tampico won in familiar weather to become the fifth Mexican player to win on Tour. A final round of 3-under 69 secured the title at the Jack Nicklaus designed Buenaventura Golf Club.

Cazaubón finished the week at 12-under 276, making birdies on Nos. 12 and 16 to distance himself from the pack. Ethan Tracy of Galloway, Ohio, shot 70 to join Samuel Del Val of Bilbao, Spain, who shot 72 in a tie for runner-up honors.

Six other players, including 54-hole leader Linus Gillgren of Sweden, finished four strokes off the pace in a share of the fourth spot.

“Last year, my first year on Tour, helped me mature and adjust to competing at this level,” said the young man who turned pro in September of 2013 after graduating from the University of North Texas.

“I knew this was coming because I started the year really well and I was feeling quite comfortable on the golf course. I have been striking the ball really well. I think it was a matter of time and here we are.”