Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Sports

Alvarado captures maiden win in Brazil

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Sao Paulo, Brazil – Benjamin Alvarado used a late birdie on Sunday to pull ahead of Dawie van der Walt and win the inaugural Brasil Classic.

Alvarado finished his final round at the Sao Paulo Golf Club with a 2-under 69 to capture his first career victory on the Web.com Tour at 19-under-par 265.

"I was just hoping to get into the top 25 this week so I could go to the next tournament," said Alvarado. "In the game of golf, you never what's going to happen."

Van der Walt fired a 5-under 66 and even moved into a tie with Alvarado for the lead with a birdie at the 16th, but closed with a pair of pars, while Alvarado birdied the 17th to pull ahead for good.

The birdie dropped Van der Walt into second place with a total of 18-under-par 266.

Kevin Kim (68) finished in third at 17-under, Kevin Tway (66) took fourth at 16-under and Wes Roach (68) ended in fifth at minus-15.

Van der Walt followed a couple of pars at the first and second with back-to- back birdies at the third and fourth to begin his pursuit of Alvarado, who held at least a share of the lead since the end of the second round.

Van der Walt rolled in another birdie at the eighth and, after parring the next four holes, birdied the 13th to get within a stroke of the leader.

Tway briefly joined van der Walt in second place following a string of three straight birdies starting at the 15th, but he closed with a bogey at the last to fall off the pace.

Alvarado, meanwhile, opened his round with three straight pars before rolling in a birdie at the fourth.

He countered that with a bogey at the sixth, but he was able to get that stroke back with a birdie at the eighth that was followed by eight consecutive pars.

That streak allowed van der Walt to pull into a share of the lead with his birdie at the 16th.

But he failed to grab the outright lead with his closing pars and Alvarado pulled ahead for good when he dropped his second shot onto the green from 228 yards out on the par-5 17th and two-putted for the decisive birdie.

"I really had to draw the ball quite a bit to fit the green in two," said Alvarado. "My caddie said 'hit the 5-iron. You came here to win, not to finish second or third. Just do it.' I said 'OK give me the club' and I did it. I put it in the middle of the green and two-putted for birdie. It was good he pushed me to hit it. It was maybe the most important shot of my life."

NOTES: With the win, Alvarado moved into second place on the Web.com Tour's money list ... Alvarado had not recorded a bogey in 50 straight holes prior to his dropped shot at the sixth ... He became the first player from Chile to win in Web.com Tour history.