[PHOTO: Brennan Asplen]
A week ago Harry Higgs made headlines by holing out an 76-metre shot for eagle on the last hole of the Korn Ferry Tour’s AdventHealth Championship to get into a playoff, which he ultimately won over Tanner Gore.
In his victory speech he said he hadn’t had a cocktail in quite a while and promised himself he wouldn’t have one until he won a golf tournament.
On Sunday, at the Visit Knoxville Open, Higgs shot a final-round 65 at Holston Hills Country Club to get into a playoff, where he drained a 37-foot eagle putt on the second playoff hole to top Frankie Caplan III.
Higgs, 32, becomes the first player to win consecutive weeks on the Korn Ferry Tour by way of a playoff. The victory also locks up full PGA Tour status for next year, a place where he played each of the past four years before finishing 144th in the FedEx Fall standings in 2023.
Life is good for the man nicknamed the Big Rig.
HARRY HIGGS DOES IT AGAIN‼️
From 36 feet 10 inches @harryhiggs1991 drains it for eagle in the second playoff hole to win the @visitknoxopen. pic.twitter.com/C58siHh0OS
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 26, 2024
“I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t feel any better than great,” Higgs said. “Yeah, thrilled to get another result. I had my list of things last week, I think I netted out maybe a B of accomplishing those. Was fortunate to obviously get the result. And I would have said I did an even better job this week kind of controlling the things that I wanted to do and again, I get the result.
“So I would have been happy if I didn’t win the playoff, if I wasn’t even in the playoff because I felt like it was another step in the right direction taking care of the things that I need to do to bring out my best performing self.”
Higgs was in contention from the start in Tennessee, opening with 64-65 the first two rounds. A third-round 67 started with a double-bogey at the first hole and was his worst score of the week on the par-70 layout. He started the final round with five birdies in the first six holes to prove he’d be a force again. He turned in 31, made birdie on the 10th hole and cruised home to a 65.
Caplan started the day with the lead and shot 66, which included four bogeys, with one on the final hole to get into the playoff against Higgs. Both men, tied in regulation at 19-under-par, made birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th.
The duo headed back to the 18th hole again and both men reached the green in two shots. Higgs made his eagle attempt from 37 feet and Caplan missed from just inside 15 feet to push the tournament to a third playoff hole.
“If I prepare as I know I should and I’m nice to myself, I can do some great things on this tour and I believe I can do some great things on the PGA Tour as well,” Higgs said.
