Byrd ace lands Vegas title

Jonathan Byrd secured his fourth PGA Tour title in spectacular fashion as he aced the fourth play-off hole in near-darkness to win the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas overnight.

Byrd finished level with Scottish defending champion Martin Laird and Australia’s Cameron Percy on 21 under par over 72 holes to force the play-off and after three extra holes failed to separate the players, the man from South Carolina settled it with a 204-yard hole-in-one at the par-three 17th.

Laird and Percy both found water with their tee shots as darkness descended at TPC Summerlin to hand Byrd his first title since the John Deere Classic in July 2007 and a winner’s cheque for $756,000 (€538,000).

Byrd was three under par for his 18 regular holes on Sunday to rein in third-round leader Laird, while Percy shot two better than Laird to take him into the play-off.

Webb Simpson was on course to win until he took five shots at the 17th to slip into a tie for fourth with fellow American Spencer Levin.