Branden Grace finished eagle-birdie en route to an emotional second PGA TOUR title at the Puerto Rico Open, the South African’s flawless six under 66 clinching a one-stroke victory over Jhonattan Vegas.
Grace dedicated the victory to his late father Peter, whom he lost in January after Covid-related complications, and struggled to contain his emotions as he walked down the 18th hole in a share for the lead.
“This morning I had a tear in the car when I was talking to my wife,” said Grace afterwards. “It was an emotional day. I thought about him a hell of a lot out there, especially the last tee shot. I was really struggling the last hole, because I knew he was watching over me. I knew he was guiding me.
“It’s been a very tough couple of years and a tough couple of months and obviously, with all the support back home with my wife and my son and my family and everybody back home after all that we have been through, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The turning point came at the driveable par four 17th hole where Grace found the bunker with his drive, but holed out with his second shot for a crucial eagle two.
“That was a tough bunker shot,” he said. “And to play it perfectly, just get it with just enough check and managed to get it to roll out and 5 or 6 feet to go, I knew it was in. So, that was obviously fortunate.”
He also found a greenside bunker on the 18th, but his bunker shot ended up six feet from the hole and he made the winning putt.
