Closing eagle lifts van Rooyen to PGA Tour title in Mexico

LOS CABOS - South Africa's Erik van Rooyen, inspired by a sick friend, rolled in a long eagle putt at the final hole to grab an emotional two-shot triumph Sunday in the US PGA Tour World Wide Technology Championship in Mexico.

Van Rooyen saved his best for last in claiming a second US tour title to go with his 2021 Barracuda Championship win.

He played the last five holes in five-under, playing the back nine in eight-under 28 on the way to a nine-under par 63 and a 27-under par total of 261 at Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos -- the first Tiger Woods-designed course to be used for a PGA Tour event.

His walk-off eagle gave him a two-shot triumph over third-round co-leaders Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas.

"I was calm because there's bigger stuff in life than golf," said van Rooyen, breaking down in tears as he explained that dear friend Jon Trasamar is battling cancer.

"Every shot out there today was for him," van Rooyen said. "When you're playing for something bigger than winning some silly trophy it puts it in perspective and at the end of the day whether I won here or I lost here it really didn't matter."

One back to start the day, van Rooyen shook off an opening bogey, nabbing birdies at the second and sixth to get himself on track.

He added three straight birdies at the 10th, 11th and 12th and another at 14 before birdies at 16 and 17 saw him pull level with overnight co-leader Kuchar atop the leaderboard at 25-under.

The win moves van Rooyen from 125th to 63rd in the FedEx Cup Fall standings and in good shape to retain his card for next year.