PGA Tour rookie Matt McCarty birdied the final hole to secure a three-shot victory on the PGA Tour at the Black Desert Championship.
“It was good. Hard-fought. A lot of tough pins with the wind picking up. Just was able to hit my spots well enough and just hang around and have lot of like stress-free pars I guess, which is nice,” said McCarty.
“Then make a few birdies when they came. So this was nice. It was a lot of fun. Yeah, pretty surreal moment.”
The American’s first title came in his third start on Tour at the age of 26 years, 10 months and 2 days and was his fourth win in his last ten combined starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour.
He becomes the second player to win on the PGA Tour in the same season after earning the Korn Ferry Tour’s Three-Victory Promotion (Jason Gore/2005 84 Lumber Classic).
Prior to securing a two-year membership with the win, McCarty had already secured the No. 1 spot on the Korn Ferry Tour points list, which came with a Tour card for the 2025 season and exemptions into The Players Championship and US Open.
Fewest starts before first PGA TOUR win (since 1970):
1 – Jim Benepe (1988 BMW Championship)
2 – Garrick Higgo (2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree)
3 – Bob Gilder (1976 WM Phoenix Open), Seve Ballesteros (1978 Wyndham Championship), Russell Henley (2013 Sony Open in Hawaii), Matt McCarty (2024 Black Desert Championship)
2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open champion Stephan Jaeger from Germany finished runner-up for the first time in 150 starts after closing with a 68.
“I didn’t drive it good enough today,” said Jaeger. “You know, this golf course gets in your head a little bit the longer you play, right? So I hit some squirrelly drives today. A lot of off-the-left tee shots or winds for a right-hander is always tough.
“But I gave it my best shot. I birdied 13, 14, 15 maybe to give myself a shot. Obviously Matt is playing really well, so obviously probably going to come up one or two short.
“But great week. Really enjoyed this week. The golf course is great. It finally I think showed some teeth on the weekend with the greens firming up. It’s been a fun week. We enjoyed it here. Off to Vegas we go.”
American Lucas Glover shot a bogey-free 62 to tie for third place at 19-under. He has posted twelve straight under-par scores in the three FedExCup Fall events: Procore Championship (T13), Sanderson Farms Championship (T3), Black Desert Championship (T3).
Two-time Tour winner Kevin Streelman also finished third, his first top-10 since finishing T2 at the 2023 3M Open (26 starts).
With the annual RSM Birdies Fore Love competition beginning this week and running through The RSM Classic, Lee Hodges (T8) wins this week’s competition with 27 birdies (or better).
Nos. 1-50 in the FedExCup standings through the Tour Championship are locked in their positions, while Nos. 51 and beyond carry their FedExCup points into the Fall. Nos. 51-60 through the FedExCup Fall will qualify for two Signature Events in 2025: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Genesis Invitational. No players moved into Nos. 51-60 this week.
The Top 125 will be exempt into all Full-Field events and The Players next season and Nos. 126-150 will earn full Korn Ferry Tour status and conditional status on Tour next season.
Moved into the Top 125: Matt McCarty (1st; from No. 232 to No. 95), Henrik Norlander (T8; from No. 131 to No. 119).
Fell out of the Top 125: Taylor Montgomery (MC; from No. 124 to No. 128), Michael Kim (MC; from No. 125 to No. 129).
Related: Dan Bradbury wins second DP World Tour title
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