Lucas Herbert has signed off on a solid week in the Cabo San Lucas resort area of Mexico with a top-30 result at the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship.
The tour pro from Bendigo posted a 70 on the final day to pick up two shots and finish at 16-under par at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal course at Diamante. World No.65 Herbert finished tied for 31st, 11 shots behind winner Erik van Rooyen.
Prior to the final day, Herbert had given himself an outside chance at reeling in the leaders when he posted a six-under 66 in the third round, which combined with an implosion from then-leader Matt Kuchar late on day three. It left Herbert five shots off the pace starting the final round.
On the last day, Herbert made the turn at one-under (35) for the day courtesy of two birdies at the par 5s at holes one and six, as well as a bogey at the par-4 third. The 27-year-old also played El Cardonal’s back nine in 35 which was capped by a birdie at the par-5 18th.
Four shots back from Herbert was the only other Australian to make the cut, Cameron Percy, whose 72 left him at 12-under and tied for 59th after the Victorian had held the first-round lead.
On top of the leaderboard in Mexico was South Africa’s van Rooyen, whose barnstorming final-round 63 included a dramatic eagle at the par-5 72nd to finish at 27-under. He beat Camilo Villegas and Kuchar by two shots.
Van Rooyen was in tears after his round and dedicated his performance to his former teammate at the University of Minnesota, John Trasamar, who is battling cancer.
“I was emotional [but] I was calm because there is bigger stuff in life than golf,” he said. “Our best friend, John Trasamar, has melanoma and he’s not going to make it. Every shot out there was for him. Whether I won or lost really didn’t matter.”
Meanwhile, on the LPGA Tour, Hannah Green’s 12-under total at the Toto Japan Classic left her tied 40th, 10 shots behind the winner, local Mone Inami. Australia’s Sarah Kemp tied for 63rd at six-under.
There was no DP World Tour event this week as the European circuit prepares to head to South Africa for this week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.
