Weekly PGA Recap: Good For Yu

This article is part of our Weekly PGA Recap series.

It was clear that 26-year-old Kevin Yu had some game. He had finished third at the Amex and sixth at Torrey Pines back in January, and he was ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation.

But you never know how a young player, especially one who has never won, will respond at the most pressure-filled moments. 

Yu did just fine, thank you. In fact, he did far better than fine.

Yu sank a must-make 15-footer for birdie on No. 18 to get into a playoff, then birdied the first extra hole to defeat Beau Hossler and win the Sanderson Farms Championship on Sunday. Their 23-under 265 total set the tournament record for its time at the Country Club of Jackson (Miss.). 

This was the Taiwan native and Arizona State alum's 56th career start in his second season on Tour. He had had four top-10s already this season, but he hadn't had so much as a top-30 in five months.

Like a lot of young players emerging today, the 5-foot-9 Yu hits it a ton, but his game gets dodgier closer to the hole. He's ranked 13th on Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and 26th in SG: Approach -- both great -- but around 150th in both SG Around-the-Green and Putting – both downright terrible

Yet at the Sanderson, Yu had his best putting week ever, ranking second in the field and gaining more than 8 and a half shots. That was no more evident than on the 72nd hole, where he hit his approach from 166 yards to 15 feet 3 inches, the official measurement from the Tour.

"Yeah, I knew I have to make at least a birdie to have a chance to play playoff. I had a great number and talked to my caddie, he loves it, too," Yu told reporters on site.

"You know, I hit it to like 18 feet and that putt, I mean, was definitely stressful but definitely out there I was really calm and trying to do the best I could have done out there.

"Pulled the trigger, and luckily it went in and it was great."

Indeed it was.

A few minutes later, Keith Mitchell, leading most of the weekend, bogeyed 18 to fall from 23-under. Hossler parred 18 to force the playoff. On the first extra hole, Yu hit his approach from 173 yards to six feet and made the putt, while Hossler's approach landed in a greenside bunker. 

Yu already had his Tour card for next season securely in place. But his win moved him from 96th in points to 60th, the final position to be in the Tour's so-called "Next 10." Golfers finishing from 51st to 60th at the end of the fall season automatically get in THE PLAYERS Championship and Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera next year.

He also moved from 135th in the world rankings to 71st, obviously his career best.

What made the week even more special for Yu was that his parents, including his dad, who taught him golf, were on hand.

And Dad somehow knew this would be a good week for his son.

"Yeah, on Tuesday we pulled into the parking lot," the younger Yu said. "My dad was driving and he saw a parking spot like just like in the very beginning.

"I told him, that's for past champions. We can't park here. He was like oh, okay, okay. We can park here after this year. You know, I mean, I don't know, it just happened."

"I think, I don't know, just a good start for the week and then had good momentum, and my dad and my mom, they always trust me very much and, yeah, that's very special."

MONDAY BACKSPIN

Beau Hossler
Hossler has one career title -- the 2018 Houston Open. He had to like his chances in the playoff with Mitchell out of the way and the winless youngster in Yu the only one standing in his way. Hossler's Tour card was already secure for next year, sitting 85th in points. But when you have a chance to win, that's all that matters. This runner-up moved him to 68th in points, closer to the top 60 needed to gain entry into THE PLAYERS and two early-season Signature Events.

Keith Mitchell
Mitchell was the top-priced DraftKings guy in the field. He was heading toward his second career PGA Tour title -- he won the 2019 Honda -- after leading most of the weekend. He was putting great, even though that's his big weakness. That is, until a soul-crushing missed three-footer for par on 18 to drop one shot back. Mitchell will not get these chances often -- weak field, good putting week -- but at least he had a sense of humor about it. 

Lucas Glover
Glover tied for third. He continues to play the fall after missing the playoffs following his great run to the playoffs late last season. The good week moved him back inside the top 50 in the world rankings at No. 49 and up to 70th in the point standings. He'll be in the field this week when the season continues at the new Utah event.

Alex Smalley
Smalley began the week at 132nd in points, and his tie for fifth moved him to 116th. Not quite secure to finish the season in the top 125. But almost.

Bud Cauley
Cauley is still trying to make it back from a serious auto accident a few years back. This week, with a tie for fifth, will help a lot. Cauley moved from the 170s to 152nd in points. That's still a long way from 125th, but 126-150 would give him conditional status on the PGA Tour and full playing privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Daniel Berger
Berger's return to the Tour this season after missing years with injury has not gone well. He began the week 141st in points. Solo seventh at the Sanderson moved him to 129th in points.

Mackenzie Hughes
Hughes was the lone Presidents Cup player to make it to Mississippi. The former Sanderson champ chose wisely, as he tied for eighth. Hughes just missed out on the top 50 during the playoffs. He's currently 51st in points, in good shape to gain entry into those two early-season Signature Events.

Michael Thorbjornsen
The winner of PGA Tour University earlier this year is trying to secure his card for next season. He tied for eighth and now sits just on the outside of the top 125, at No. 126.

Jacob Bridgeman
Bridgeman moved from the precarious position of 123rd in points to the far more comfortable 112th after tying for 11th. He still hasn't had a top-10 in 25 career starts, but 11th of course is the next best thing.

Rickie Fowler
Fowler tied for 16th in his first action in almost three months. He had been idle since the Open Championship following the birth of his second child. All in all, a great first week back, though we don't know when we'll see Fowler next.

Brandt Snedeker

Hughes was the only Presidents Cup player to play the Sanderson, but Snedeker was a U.S. assistant captain. At 43 and with his best days behind him, Snedeker turned in his best showing of the year with a tie for 16th. That followed a T26 at the Procore a few weeks back. So Snedeker may be somebody to watch the rest of the fall season.

Vince Whaley
Whaley tied for 16th to move from 126th to 121st in points.

Matti Schmid
Schmid also tied for 16th to move from 125th to 120th.

Matt NeSmith
Nesmith tied for 48th fall from inside the top 125 at No. 124 to 130th.

MISSED CUTS

The bigger names included Maverick McNealy, Harris English, Matt Kuchar and former Sanderson champ Peter Malnati. Kevin Tway fell from 117th in points to 122nd.  Dylan Wu vacated the No. 122 position for Tway and now sits at No. 128.  Sam Ryder had been 128th but now sits at 132nd.

KORN FERRY TOUR

The 30 graduates to the PGA Tour for next season were finalized, and you can see the full list here. Some of the bigger names include Matt McCarty, who already had a battlefield promotion for winning three Korn Ferry events. McCarty tied for 63rd at the Sanderson. Max McGreevy and Tim Widing finished second and fifth behind McCarty. Fan favorite Harry Higgs will be back next season. And Aldrich Potgieter, the 20-year-old South African who won the 2022 British Amateur and a Korn Ferry event back in January to become that Tour's youngest winner ever, also will be coming to a PGA Tour event near you next season.

Braden Thornberry won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship and will also be on the PGA Tour next year. 

DP WORLD TOUR

Tyrrell Hatton won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships for a record third time, this time with a record 24-under total. He beat Nicolas Colsaerts by one shot. But notably, Tommy Fleetwood was third, Jon Rahm T7, Brooks Koepka T10 and Rory McIlroy T25. Hatton moved back into the top 20 of the OWGR at No. 20.