Curtis Luck began Sunday in prime position to win his first tournament since turning professional three years ago. He just needed to hold on.
A pair of birdie putts over the final four holes helped him stave off a crowded field and seize the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at Ohio State’s Scarlet course.
“One of the biggest strengths I have on the golf course is digging deep and showing my grit,” Luck said.
He shot an even-par 71, finishing 11 under par for the Korn Ferry Tour tournament, one stroke ahead of Theo Humphrey, Taylor Montgomery and Cameron Young.
After sitting atop the leaderboard with a one-stroke lead on Young ahead of the final round, the 24-year-old Australian native lost his grip midway through the afternoon. Two bogeys threatened to undo his bid for the trophy, the first coming on No. 8 and the second following on 11.
Luck thought poor tee shots plagued him on the holes before exercising some damage control to prevail in the narrow fashion.
“From walking off the tee, I knew it was going to be a tough challenge to make par,” he said, “so I sort of accepted the fact that if I make a bogey, that’s the worst I’m going to do on the hole.”
He ultimately reclaimed the lead on 16 when he drained a long putt for birdie and pumped his fist as soon as the ball dropped into the hole in celebration, knowing the stakes.
As Luck pulled into sole possession of the lead, Will Zalatoris fell back. While he sat at 11 under par through 16 and in the lead, he bogeyed over his final two holes and ended up 9-under par, among five players who were tied for fifth.
Zalatoris, 24, has played well since the Korn Ferry Tour resumed after a coronavirus pandemic shutdown, finishing in the top-10 six times, including winning the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes last month.
This weekend’s triumph, though, was particularly sweet for Luck, who had been eager for a breakthrough in his professional career.
“It’s really a deep breath of relief,” Luck said. “Golf’s really tough. It’s probably not gone 100 percent to plan, the way I wanted, when I turned pro. But I’ve just stuck with it, and I’m still working hard. To get a win out here, is massive.”
Luck, the world’s former top-ranked amateur, had grand plans when he first turned pro. But last year, he lost his PGA Tour card, and until recently, this year had not brought much success, either.
Prior the tournament in Columbus, he had not finished higher than 16th, his only top-25 appearance, and missed the cut in seven of 11 Korn Ferry Tour events, including the previous three tournaments.
The elusive victory felt affirming.
“It just shows that I’m able to compete, which is nice,” Luck said.
Despite unevenness on the professional tours in the U.S., Luck had fared well at OSU’s course. At last year’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, he tied for seventh. In 2018, he came in a tie for fifth.
A round of 66 on Friday put him atop the leaderboard and in position to win this weekend.
Over each of the previous three rounds, Luck had shot at least 3-under par and estimated he might need a similar performance Sunday, before teeing off in the afternoon with the 23-year-old Young.
“I thought in my mind, that if I shot four under today, it wasn’t leaving it to chance,” Luck said. “I don’t think anyone was going to catch that score. 71, I’m going to take it, but I definitely thought that would be cutting fine, and it was.”
