Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Novak, Griffin clinch first PGA wins at Zurich Classic
Ben Griffin, left, celebrates with teammate Andrew Novak after winning on the 18th hole during the final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin became first-time PGA Tour winners by capturing the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday in Avondale, Louisiana.

The pair posted a final-round 1-under-par 71 in alternate-shot play for a one-stroke victory at TPC Louisiana.

Novak and Griffin finished at 28-under 260, with Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard (68 on Sunday) in second place at 27 under and Jake Knapp and Frankie Capan III (70) in third place at 26 under.

Novak had several near-misses in pursuing tournament titles this year, including last week's playoff loss to Justin Thomas in the RBC Heritage.

Novak and Griffin are North Carolinians. Novak was in his 100th PGA Tour event, while Griffin was entered for the 90th time.

After three bogeys and three birdies on the front side, the pair had seven consecutive pars until Griffin rolled in a birdie putt from the fringe nearly 35 feet away at No. 17 to break a tie with Knapp and Capan, who took a bogey on the hole.

The Hojgaard brothers applied pressure with birdies on three of the final six holes, including a birdie at No. 18 in the group ahead of the leaders.

Griffin's approach shot on par-5 No. 18 left the team 16 feet away, and two putts later they had a par and a championship.

The teams of David Lipsky and Dylan Wu, Taylor Dickson and Trace Crowe and Michael Thorbjornsen and Australia's Karl Vilips all finished with 68s to tie for fourth place with Luke List and Sweden's Henrik Norlander (69) at 25 under.

Thorbjornsen and Vilips were undone by a double-bogey 5 on No. 17.

Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, who began the tournament with a 58, finished with 71 for a tie for eighth place at 24 under.

Defending champions Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Shane Lowry (Ireland) dropped to a 12th-place tie at 22 under with their 72. They started the round tied for fifth place and then played the front nine in 2 under before slumping.

For the second day in a row, there was an afternoon suspension because of weather conditions, this time for slightly more than 90 minutes.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Justin Rose Sends Personal Message to Lottie Woad After Historic Win in Pro Debut at Women’s Scottish Open
Golf

Justin Rose Sends Personal Message to Lottie Woad After Historic Win in Pro Debut at Women’s Scottish Open

Big risk can equal big reward— just ask Lottie Woad. The 21 year-old Florida State University junior from Farnham, England had a difficult decision to make after a six-shot win at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and T3 finish at the The Amundi Evian Championship in France earlier this month earned her enough points for an LPGA Tour card by way of the LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP). She could stay the world's number one ranked female amateur golfer and play her fourth year as a Seminole at Florida State University, or turn professional. Woad chose the latter, making the announcement on July 15th on her X account, and that decision has quickly paid off. Not only did she tee it up for the first time as a professional at the 2025 ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open this week, she won. Wire-to-wire. Woad's journey to earning her LPGA Tour card garnered a massive media following, and her debut win at the Women's Scottish Open got the attention of eleven-time PGA Tour winner, European Ryder Cup veteran and fellow Brit, Justin Rose, who sent Woad a personal message on his X account. Woad had a two-shot lead going into the final round at Dundonald Links where she had to fend off a packed leaderboard that was nipping at her heels early in the round. World number one Nelly Korda carded four birdies in a row on the front nine and Hyo Joo Kim, 30, of South Korea, birdied six of her first eleven holes and momentarily tied Woad at the top of the leaderboard at -19, something Woad said she was unaware of during her post-round interview. "There’s not that many scoreboards out there to be honest," Woad said. "I knew it was probably quite tight because I was only a couple under at the turn but then when I had the two birdies early on at the back nine I kind of knew I had probably got a little bit of a lead by then.” Woad finished with a birdie on the 72nd hole, a final round 68, to win the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open by three three strokes. She is the first player to win their LPGA Tour debut since Rose Zhang did so in 2023 at the Mizuho Americas Open. When asked how she is handling all of the media attention, Woad was cool and collected. "It's still a learning curve but I think the last few months I’ve definitely had the attention over trying to get the card so I’ve been getting used to that." Woad heads to Wales for the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl Golf Course next week where she looks to add a major title to her resume.

Shedeur Sanders gets new chance after Browns QB injury
NFL

Shedeur Sanders gets new chance after Browns QB injury

Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following the troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.

New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate
NFL

New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate

There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.

Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement
NHL

Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement

The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!