When Brian Campbell’s tee shot in a playoff bounced out of the trees and back into play on Sunday, he took advantage of a huge break and defeated Aldrich Potgieter with a birdie on the 2nd extra hole to win the Mexico Open at Vidanta World.
The timing couldn’t have been better for Campbell, who won for the first time since going pro ten years ago at Vidanta Vallarta, where he finished with a 1-under 70.
The win entitles him to 5 of the remaining $20 million Signature Events on the PGA TOUR schedule, as well as the Masters, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the PGA Championship.
“It’s simply so unbelievable to be in this situation. Really, I can’t believe it.” the 31-year-old Campbell said after calmly holing a birdie putt just inside 4 feet on the 18th green for the win.
Playing golf well wasn’t enough. Campbell needed a life-changing win.
Both Campbell and Potgieter, who scored 71, started the playoffs with a par after making birdies on the 18th hole in regulation. With his strength, Campbell shot a low, powerful fade into the out-of-bounds stakes, giving the 20-year-old South African a significant lead even though he was returning to the par-5 closing hole for the 3rd time.
But it sprang back out into the rough after colliding with the trees. At least he had a chance, even though he was still 94 yards behind Potgieter. He hit a lob wedge that checked up just short of the hole and fairway metal that was 68 yards short.
“Sometimes you have to take such breaks. Regretfully, I made a terrible tee shot there, caught the tree, and managed to keep it in play, putting us in a strong position to get a wedge and maintain pressure. The fact that I was able to sort of stick with it through to the conclusion made me quite happy.” Campbell said.
In the playoffs, Potgieter had a 6-iron for his second shot and twice hit the 18th fairway, both times making par. It was a challenging draw over the green the first time. He was standing over a shot on a pristine line on the second playoff hole when it went a foot short and into a bunker.
He missed the birdie putt to the left after blasting out around six feet, which put Campbell in position for what seemed like an eternity.
In 186 starts between the Korn Ferry and PGA TOUR combined, he earned $1,487,830 but was winless. On Sunday, he was paid $1,260,000.
Potgieter led by one stroke going into the final round, trailed by two bogeys to finish the front nine, and then caught up to Campbell with an incredible up-and-down on the par-5 14th hole. They each finished at 20-under 264 after making one bogey entering the round.
After striking the fairway each time, Potgieter, who led the field in driving distance, was unable to take advantage of the par-5 last hole.
“I’m hoping that my moment will arrive shortly.” said Potgieter, who won The Amateur Championship 2022 at age 17 and last year became the youngest to win on the Korn Ferry Tour.
“There is a lot of pressure. It’s unbeatable. The next time, you simply need to adapt and learn from it.” He said.
Isaiah Salinda finished alone in 3rd place with a bogey-free 65. With an approach to 20 inches for eagle on the 6th par-5, Aaron Rai, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 29 in the world, momentarily took the lead. He equalled Ben Griffin (67) for 4th place and was 1-over the remaining distance for a 67.
Campbell claimed that fortitude, which predates Sunday, was the key to his victory.
He attended Illinois for his collegiate golf career and finished as the low amateur at Chambers Bay in the 2015 U.S. Open. In 2017, after making 20 appearances, he missed the cut 13 times, earning a spot on the PGA TOUR. One of those was the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he was penalised for slow play in an odd decision because his partner, Miguel Angel Carballo, was also participating.
In order to receive another chance at the PGA TOUR, he had to return to the lower leagues for the next 7 years, finishing No. 8 on the Korn Ferry Tour and finishing 2nd 3 times.
With the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters, and the RBC Heritage all on his schedule, the victory grants him a 2-year exemption through 2027.
