You won’t believe how a LEAF caused a four-shot penalty that may keep one golfer from earning his PGA Tour card

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) Bernhard Langer pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine at Pebble Beach and cruised to a three-shot victory at the PURE Insurance Championship, his fifth victory of the year and the 34th of his PGA Tour Champions career.

The German star had never won at the iconic seaside venue on the Monterey Peninsula. It was also his first win since turning 60 last month. He earned $300,000 to push his season earnings to near $3 million and extend his lead over Scott McCarron on the Charles Schwab Cup money list as he seeks his ninth money title in 10 seasons.

”It was a magical week in terms of golf, as nice as this place is and the weather was and the people I played with, and my game was really good,” Langer said. ”It’s pretty cool.”

Langer closed with a 67 for a three-day total of 198 at the pro-am event, which pairs professionals with junior golfers from the First Tee program and is contested at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills. He and his partner als..

Justin Thomas came up one stroke short of winning the Tour Championship, but it was good enough for the bigger prize, the FedEx Cup title

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) Bernhard Langer pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine at Pebble Beach and cruised to a three-shot victory at the PURE Insurance Championship, his fifth victory of the year and the 34th of his PGA Tour Champions career.

The German star had never won at the iconic seaside venue on the Monterey Peninsula. It was also his first win since turning 60 last month. He earned $300,000 to push his season earnings to near $3 million and extend his lead over Scott McCarron on the Charles Schwab Cup money list as he seeks his ninth money title in 10 seasons.

Langer closed with a 67 for a three-day total of 198 at the pro-am event, which pairs professionals with junior golfers from the First Tee program and is contested at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills. He and his partner also won the pro-am competition.

Jerry Kelly pulled even with Langer by making eagle on the par-5 sixth hole and again with a birdie at the par-3 12th. Langer then took command with ..

ATLANTA (AP) Xander Schauffele won the tournament. Justin Thomas won the $10 million.

There was plenty of drama but no satisfaction.

The PGA Tour must figure out a better way to end its season.

This was roughly akin to the New York Giants winning the Super Bowl in 2008, only to get to the locker room and watch the New England Patriots receive the Lombardi Trophy because they had the better season.

Schauffele played the role of the Giants on Sunday, rolling in a 3-footer for birdie at the final hole – the ball whirling all the way around the lip before dropping in – to complete his sudden, stunning rise with an improbable victory in the Tour Championship.

But the biggest prize at East Lake, the FedEx Cup and its hefty payout, went to the guy who finished second.

That’s not to say Thomas wasn’t a worthy recipient. The 24-year-old had a breakout season, winning five times including his first major title at the PGA Championship. He’s the future of golf along with Jordan Spieth,..

ATLANTA (AP) Xander Schauffele ended his rookie season by winning the Tour Championship. Justin Thomas ended the best season with the FedEx Cup.

Schauffele, a 23-year-old from San Diego who was worried about keeping his PGA Tour card just over three months ago, swirled in a 3-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Thomas.

He became the first PGA Tour rookie to win the Tour Championship since it began in 1987.

Thomas never had more reason to celebrate finishing second. He capped off a season of five victories, including his first major at the PGA Championship, by claiming the FedEx Cup and the $10 million bonus.

It was the first time in eight years that two players celebrated at East Lake. Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup and Phil Mickelson won the Tour Championship in 2009.

The surprise guest to the party was Schauffele.

”It’s been a wild ride,” he said.

It began with a tie for fifth in his U.S. Open debut, and he followed that..

ATLANTA (AP) Justin Thomas is the FedEx Cup champion, a surprise to no one who saw him power his way to scoring records, his first major at the PGA Championship and more PGA Tour victories than anyone this season.

Standing next to him at the trophy ceremony was Xander Schauffele, who never imagined being at the Tour Championship, much less winning it.

Both put on quite a show Sunday at East Lake.

Schauffele, a 23-year-old rookie from San Diego who was worried about keeping his card just over three months ago, capped off an amazing summer with four par saves on the back nine when he couldn’t afford to drop a shot. He closed out his 2-under 68 by swirling in a 3-foot birdie putt for a one-shot victory over Thomas.

”My hands were shaking so much,” Schauffele said. ”I’m still kind of in shock.”

Thomas did his part, even with a runner-up finish.

Five shots behind to start the final round and needing to play well to have a shot at the FedEx Cup, he nearly won the Tour Championshi..

BEACHWOOD, Ohio (AP) Nicholas Lindheim made a downhill, 35-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole after bogeying the final two holes in regulation and won the DAP Championship on Sunday to regain his PGA Tour card.

Lindheim, who lost in a playoff in this Web.com Tour Finals event last year, hit every green in regulation on the front nine and held the lead from the third hole on. But he missed his tee shot well left on the par-4 18th at Canterbury Golf Club, punched out and failed to get up and down. He shot a 1-over 71 to join Rob Oppenheim (67) and Chesson Hadley (69) in the playoff.

Given a fresh start, the 32-year-old self-taught player quickly capitalized.

”I think last year I was just content being in the playoff,” Lindheim said. ”It was destiny. That’s all I can say.”

The event was the third of four tournaments that determine 25 PGA Tour cards. The series features the top 75 players from the Web.com regular-season money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup s..

Presidents Cup International captain Nick Price has the toughest job in team golf, but he’s optimistic this third time around could be a turning point

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) Bernhard Langer birdied the 18th hole at Pebble Beach to salvage an indifferent back nine and move one shot ahead of Kenny Perry after two rounds of the PURE Insurance Championship, putting the German star in position for his fifth victory this year.

The 60-year-old Langer was 5 under through eight holes before his momentum stalled. The birdie on No. 18 brought him back to even par on the back nine. He shot 67 and stood at 12-under 131 after his opening-round 64 at Poppy Hills.

”I played really solid starting off, hit it close and had a bunch of really good saves, up-and-downs,” Langer said. ”It wasn’t that easy. The greens are not that simple to putt on. Hard to make long putts here.”

Langer’s four victories include three majors, and he leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings as he vies for his ninth money title in 10 years and sixth in a row.

Perry, 57, shot 63 at Pebble Beach to equal the tournament course record. The U.S. Senior Open champion is fou..