Connecticut’s Dylan Newman Wins PGA Stroke Play Championship In Playoff

Dylan Newman of Stamford, Connecticut, parred the first playoff hole Tuesday to win the PGA Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club.

Newman parred the 18th hole on the Wanamaker Course to beat Tyler Collet of Vero Beach, Florida. Both players had finished at 18-under 197 and spent the final round dueling each other.

Newman, who won three PGA Tournament Event Series events in the last three years, captured his first PGA Winter Championship title in the final event for the men. “It was a stressful day, I’m not going to lie,” said Newman, a PGA Assistant Professional at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York. “Once I saw I was going against Tyler, I knew it was going to be a tough day. It was basically match play, but I tried not to look at it that way because I wanted to focus on my game.”

Newman and Collet separated themselves from the field by shooting 63 and 62, respectively in the second round. Newman held a one-shot lead over Collet entering Tuesday, with only one other player (Justin Smith) within six shots of them.

Collet birdied three of his first five holes to take a one-shot lead over Newman at the turn. It could have been more.

Newman got a bad break when his drive at the par-4 ninth hole hit a cart path and went into the water. His third shot landed in the rough, but he holed a 20-yard chip to somehow save par.

“I was really mad after the drive, and was just hoping to save bogey,” Newman said. “Then I made the chip and birdied the next two holes to take the lead. That chip was definitely the key moment in the round.”

Both players birdied the 13th and Collet birdied the 15th to share the lead. They each parred the last three holes to force the playoff.

Ben Kern of Georgetown, Texas, who teamed with Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, to win the last two PGA Winter Championship events, was third at 12-under 203 after a 67. Steven Delmar (70-206) of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Brett Walker of Jupiter tied for fourth place.

Sowards, who had won three consecutive PGA Winter Championship events, was 17th after a closing 75.

The PGA Winter Championships, run by the PGA of America, are Presented by GolfPass and On Location.