LAS VEGAS — JT Poston used a flurry of birdies to build a comfortable morning and afternoon lead, first taking a three-way lead after 54 holes and giving himself a big enough cushion to hold on for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory Sunday at the Shriners Children’s Open.
Poston has never trailed since making a 20-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole on his way back to finish the third round. He had two more birdies of 66 to build a three-way lead.
He made three birdies on the four-hole stretch after the final nine and led by four shots with three holes to play. Poston still had to sweat until the end.
Doug Ghim closed with a 65, making a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole at TPC Summerlin to close within one shot. Poston left his birdie putt 45 feet and sank that for his third PGA Tour title.
The winning putt felt long because Poston missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 16th and a 4-foot par putt on the 17th, either of which would have put the tournament away.
“I just told myself, ‘This is what you dream of, a putt to win on the PGA Tour. Try to forget the last two,'” Poston said. “I told myself, ‘I’ve done a million of these. Just do one more.’
The victory assures Poston a return to the Masters for the third year in a row and back inside the top 50 in the world. He was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship, wanting to spend time at home with his daughter, who was born in March.
It was an exciting return for the 31-year-old from North Carolina, who is already guaranteed to be in the 20 million signature event because he finished in the top 50 at the FedEx Cup. This makes him an early start in Kapalua for the Sentry to start the new season.
Ghim finished second, his highest finish on the PGA Tour.
He had his chances. Ghim made an eagle on the par-5 ninth to pull within one shot, but missed birdie putts from 8 feet and then failed to get up-and-down for a birdie within reach on the par-4 15th as Poston departed. .
Ghim birdied the par-5 16th, took another shot when Poston played the par 3 and then made a final drive to force Poston to make the final putt.
Matti Schmid continued his strong play in the FedEx Cup Fall, closing with a 66 to tie for third with Rico Hoey, who also had a 66.
Schmid was No. 125 in the FedEx Cup — the top 125 make up the full 2025 PGA Tour card — when he tied for 16th in Mississippi, finished fifth last week in Utah and tied for third in Las Vegas. He has now reached Number 77.
The other major consolation prize went to Michael Kim, who closed with a 62 and tied for fifth, from No. 129 in the FedEx Cup to No.
Poston felt like the rest of the day was a struggle, though he went 41 holes in a row without a bogey until he missed a short par on the 17th, and led the final 23 holes of the tournament.
“I wasn’t that sharp on the scoring teams,” said Poston. “It felt like a grind all day. I know I had a comfortable lead, but I never felt safe. Doug was playing well and I felt like I was just playing.”
The PGA Tour will next head to Japan for the Zozo Championship, a 78-man unseeded field, before returning to North America for three tournaments to close the season.
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