Griffin hangs on at Colonial, beats Schmid by 1

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Ben Griffin reacts after finishing the 18th hole to win the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday. LM OTERO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Schuyler Dixon

The Associated Press

FORT WORTH, Texas>> Ben Griffin has his first individual PGA Tour victory a month after winning a team event, hanging on to beat Matti Schmid at Colonial after breaking a tie with his co-leader for good on the first hole Sunday.

Griffin shot a 1-over 71 to finish at 12-under 268 in the Charles Schwab Challenge, one shot ahead of Schmid as both struggled through the final round on a warm day with wind gusts around 30 mph at Hogan’s Alley.

Schmid forced Griffin to make a 4-foot par putt on the 72nd hole after his chip from the deep rough behind the green went in for birdie. Griffin saved par from the rough, standing in the bunker while choking way down on the club on his chip. Schmid shot 72.

“First of all, it was like whack-a-mole hitting that third shot,” Griffin said. “In my head, I was thinking Matti might probably make that. Fortunately, I had that 4-footer. I felt pretty good over it. Just left edge and trust it.”

Griffin and Schmid, the 27-year-old German seeking his first tour win in his 79th start, had matching scores each of the first three days.

Schmid was the one who surged in front early in the third round, taking a three-shot lead. Griffin had a five-shot edge after just five holes in the final round, and finally let Schmid get within a stroke with a two-shot swing at 16 before getting the lead back to two with a hole to play.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and hometown favorite who won the PGA Championship last week, couldn’t match his Saturday surge from 10 shots back. The three-time major winner began the day six shots back, but had two birdies and a bogey in a 69 to finish 8 under.

Scheffler fell short of becoming the first to win three consecutive starts since Dustin Johnson eight years ago, and just missed a fourth consecutive year of finishing in the top three at Colonial. He tied for fourth, one shot behind Bud Cauley, who shot 67.

CABRERA TAKES SECOND SENIOR MAJOR IN A WEEK>> Angel Cabrera won his second senior major in a week, shooting a 3-under 69 and rallying for a one-stroke victory in the Senior PGA Championship.

Cabrera, the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters champion, won the rain-delayed Regions Tradition on Monday in Alabama, which was the Argentine’s first senior major. Six days later at Congressional, he trailed Padraig Harrington by two strokes after Harrington rolled in a long birdie putt on No. 14.

But Harrington double bogeyed No. 15, and Cabrera birdied the hole to take the lead. After a bogey by Harrington on the par-4 18th, Cabrera needed only a closing bogey — and got it.

Cabrera finished at 8-under 280. Harrington (68) and Thomas Bjorn (68) tied for second.

IWAI TAKES CHARGE>> Chisato Iwai took a tournament up for grabs and turned it into a highlight show, making five birdies in her opening six holes for a 6-under 66 and a six-shot victory in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open for her first LPGA title.

Iwai ran off four straight birdies, poured in every putt that mattered and then cruised home to become the third LPGA rookie to win this season. Iwai, whose twin sister Akie has been runner-up twice this year, finished at 12-under 276.