America’s Max Homa clinched his first PGA Tour title with a three-shot win at the Wells Fargo Championship held at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.
Homa, who was ranked 413th in the world rankings at the start of the week, began the final day tied for the lead with compatriots Joel Dahmen and Jason Dufner at 11 under, but the 28-year-old from California dropped only one shot in an assured round of 67 to finish on 15 under par.
Justin Rose carded a 68 to finish third on 11 under, while playing partner Rory McIlroy, two behind after 54 holes, was eight adrift by the end, after a closing 73 saw him drop to eighth.
Rose made three birdies in four holes around the turn to set the target, but despite dropping a shot at the 16th after finding a fairway bunker, Homa made two confident closing pars to take the title and win a place at the US PGA Championship later this month.
McIlroy, twice a winner of the Wells Fargo Championship, saw his hopes of third victory disappear when he three-putted the seventh and ninth holes, and then double-bogeyed the par-five 10th, despite being just short of the green in two.