LOS ANGELES: New Zealand´s Danny Lee ended his eight-year title drought with victory in a playoff to win LIV Golf´s Tucson event on Sunday.
Lee, who defected to the lucrative Saudi Arabia-backed circuit last month, had not won as a professional since his victory in the 2015 PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic. But the 32-year-old held his nerve in a four-player playoff to nail a 25-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to end his lengthy absence from the winner´s circle.
"I haven´t won since 2015," Lee said afterwards. "I just felt like winning is just not my thing, but today just changed that. "It´s just good to see I´m capable of playing some good golf again," added Lee, who collected $4 million in prize money with the win.
Lee had forced his way into the playoff after closing his final round with back-to-back birdies to card a two-under-par 69, leaving him nine under for the tournament after 54 holes. That helped him into a playoff alongside Carlos Ortiz, Brendan Steele and South Africa´s Louis Oosthuizen.
Ortiz was eliminated from contention after bogeying the first playoff hole. After Oosthuizen and Steele missed their birdie putts, Lee knocked in his long-range effort from well off the green to secure victory.