Gribble grabs first US PGA Tour title in Mississippi

Rookie Cody Gribble lifted his first US PGA Tour title Sunday with a storming finish in the Sanderson Farms Championship.
The 26-year-old Gribble, making his eighth US PGA Tour start and his second as a tour member, fired a bogey-free seven-under par 65 at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi to notch a four-stroke victory on 20-under par 268.
England’s Greg Owen and Americans Luke List and Chris Kirk shared second on 272.
Owen fired a 68 while List and Kirk — the highest-ranked player in the field at 76th in the world — both carded 70 after sharing the overnight lead one stroke in front of Gribble, Canadian Graham DeLaet and former US Open champion Lucas Glover.
“There’s no words right now,” said Gribble, who birdied five of his last eight holes.
That included three birdies on the trot at the 15th, 16th and 17th.
Gribble was a teammate of Jordan Spieth on the University of Texas team that won the national collegiate championship in 2012.
Spieth, three years younger, turned pro during his second year at University in 2013 and two years later won the Masters and the US Open on his precocious rise to number one in the world.
Gribble has followed a more meandering path. He missed four straight cuts on the Web.com tour last season before a top five finish saw him secure his US PGA Tour membership.
“It’s an unbelievable experience,” he said.
The week’s tournament was an ideal opportunity for rookies and lesser lights of the tour to shine, with the top players in the world competing at the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai won by Hideki Matsuyama.