American Tom Hoge has nabbed his maiden PGA Tour win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am as Australian Jason Day closed with a disappointing final round.
Jason Day has let another opportunity slip as American Tom Hoge claimed his long-awaited maiden PGA Tour win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California.
Hoge carded a final-round four-under-par 68 to finish at 19 under and secure a two-shot victory over celebrated countryman Jordan Spieth (69).
The 32-year-old made birdies at three of his last five holes to reel in Spieth, who looked the likely winner for much of Sunday's championship round.
"I waited 11 years for that," Hoge said after winning in his 203rd PGA Tour start.
"It's awesome. I've worked through so many hard times."
Hoge has been on the PGA Tour since 2015 after starting out on the Canadian tour, where he won in 2011.
His most recent victory of any kind was the North Dakota Open on his home course in Fargo in 2017.
"I'm almost a little in shock," he said.
"It's been so long since I won anything that I forgot how to celebrate."
With victory, Hoge soared to second in the FedExCup standings and also clinched a coveted place at the Masters in April.
Third-round leader Beau Hossler (71) finished outright third at 16 under, one better than fellow Americans Patrick Cantlay (71) and Troy Merritt (67).
Day, though, has less than two months to book his ticket to Augusta National, where was joint runner-up on debut in 2011 and has recorded four top-five finishes.
Without a win since May 2018, Australia's former world No.1 has dropped to 83rd in the rankings and must return to the top 50 by the end of March to seal another Masters spot.
After falling short by a shot at last week's Farmers Insurance Open, having led into the final round, Day had another big chance on Sunday to break his title drought.
But after starting four shots back in a share of eighth place, Day closed with a disappointing two-over 74 to tie for 24th at nine under.
He started brightly enough with a birdie on the third but unravelled with three bogeys and a double in the space of five holes before the turn.
