The Punter's De-brief: Vegas hangs tough to claim his fourth PGA Tour title

• 54-hole leader hangs on in Minnesota

• Closest rivals struggle in round four

• Paris Olympics next up for world's best golfers

With a one-stroke lead, pre-event 130.0129/1 chance Jhonattan Vegas was trading at 2.588/5 after 54 holes of the 3M Open but it didn't take long for him to be caught and passed in round four.

The 39-year-old Venezuelan made a mess of the opening hole where he holed an 11-foot putt for bogey and he was down by one as he stood on the third tee after his closest challenger, Matt Kuchar, had birdied the second.

Kuchar, who was a 300.0299/1 chance before the off, was matched at as low as 2.6613/8 but he struggled after the early birdie, and although he also birdied the fifth, he dropped shots on holes four, seven and eight to turn in +1 for the round.

The leaderboard had looked relatively weak with a round to go and none of the front three before round four - Vegas, Kuchar and Maverick McNealy - broke par on the front nine.

They'd opened the door for the chasing pack and my 130.0129/1 Find Me a 100 Winner fancy, Patrick Fishburn, was matched at a low of 12.5 when he made back-to-back birdies at five and six to get to within two, but he fell away after that.

Vegas kept his nose in front without doing anything special and he even needed help from the arm of the law on the 12^th after a very wayward drive off the tee.

You have the right to remain still

Leader @JhonattanVegas' tee shot lands on the arm of a police officer @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/IVkxzQDhqc

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2024

Vegas made a par five there after his drop to keep his nose in front, but things really tightened up at the top after he'd bogeyed the par three 13^th and parred the 14^th.

At one-over par for his round, Vegas went to the 15^th tee tied at the top with McNealy, who was matched at a low of 2.56/4, Kuchar, and pre-event 100.099/1 chance, Max Greyserman.

With none of his closest rivals pushing him hard on the back nine, it was Greyserman who asked all the questions.

Having started the final round eight off the lead and having been matched at 1000.0999/1 in-running, Greyserman, hit the front when he made a remarkable birdie at the 18^th after a poor drive to post 30 on the back-nine.

Threading the needle. https://t.co/bALt2O16AU pic.twitter.com/Kj9cNPJUt8

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2024

The 29-year-old was matched at a low of 2.727/4 but just minutes after Greyserman had birdied 18, Vegas birdied the 15^th from just inside 10 feet.

It was far from plain sailing for Vegas after that but after another poor drive on 16, he made a decent par there and a regulation three at the 17^th so he headed to the par five finishing hole, tied for lead with Greyserman in the clubhouse and one in front of his playing partner, Kuchar.

Vegas hit a brilliant tee-shot to the centre of the fairway and Kuchar hit his to a very similar position to Greyserman. But where the young man had gambled from the rough to find the green in two, Kuchar layed up.

Kuchar couldn't get up-and down for birdie to draw alongside the clubhouse leader but, as it transpired, he'd have needed to eagle the hole anyway because after a brave strike across the water with his second, Vegas two-putted from 96 feet for birdie and the win.

Two putts for the win.@JhonattanVegas gives it a run from 99 feet. pic.twitter.com/gv0C1j4TDf

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2024

Having begun the week at 149^th in the FedEx Cup Standings, Vegas has moved into 67^th place and inside the all-important top-70 with just the Wyndham Championship to come in two weeks' time.

This was Vegas' fourth PGA Tour victory and his first in seven years. The win has seen him climb up to 86^th in the Official World Rankings but that's still someway short of his loftiest position of 35^th.

Greyserman's second place finish sees him jump up from 88^th to 64^th in the FedEx Cup Standings so both men have a strong chance of being in the line-up at the first of the three Playoff events, the FedEx St Jude, in three weeks' time.

This was the sixth edition of the 3M Open and Vegas was the fifth triple-figure priced winner.

In fact, the three of the first four home were trading at a three-figure price before the off so this really is a great event for longshots.

There are no regular PGA Tour or DP World Tour events this week as Paris National takes centre stage where 60 men will be attempting to win Olympic Gold. I'll be back later today or tomorrow with my preview.

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