RBC Heritage: CT Pan holds off Matt Kucher

Leaderboard

-12 CT Pan

-11 Matt Kuchar

-10 Patrick Cantlay, Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry

Day four report

CT Pan secured his maiden PGA Tour title with a one-shot victory ahead of Matt Kuchar at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.

The Taiwan golfer began the final round two shots off overnight leader and world number one Dustin Johnson, whose challenge disintegrated after carding seven over through five holes on the back nine, to claim five birdies and one solitary bogey on his way to a 12-under-par total.

Pan could not match his eagle at the second hole from the third round but managed to be flawless through the front nine, registering birdies at the fifth and ninth.

He picked up further shots at the 10th and 12th to get to 12 under but bogeyed the 15th hole, only to claim the shot back at the next to restore his one-shot advantage over Kuchar, who was already in the clubhouse at 11 under par.

Pan then put his tee shot at the par-three 17th into the greenside bunker, but he held his nerve to scramble par after landing his approach inside three feet.

The 27-year-old narrowly missed out on a birdie at last before enduring a nervous wait for Patrick Cantlay, who moved into contention with five gains despite a double bogey at the fourth.

The American needed a birdie at the 18th to force a play-off, but three-putted for bogey to hand Pan victory.

Ireland's Shane Lowry began the day one stroke behind Johnson and hit the front thanks to gains at the second, fifth and sixth.

However, a bogey at the ninth and double bogey at the 12th derailed his bid and, although he picked up a shot at the 14th, he could not eagle the last to force Pan into an extra hole.

Day three report

Dustin Johnson putted his way to the top of the leaderboard on day three of the RBC Heritage, as Shane Lowry was usurped at the top.

The world number one rattled off a trio of birdies from the 13th, including a monster putt at the par-three 14th, to take control of a tournament for which he started an easy-to-back favourite.

A pair of late bogeys gave the chasing pack hope, but Johnson is a formidable front-runner who will begin the final round alone at the top of the leaderboard.

Lowry, who relinquished the lead when he demonstrated just how tough that 14th hole is by finding water and making bogey, must overcome the most prolific player in the sport if he's to win for the second time in 2019.

The pair fought out the US Open in 2016, Johnson in the end winning comfortably, and a similar scenario could well unfold in his home state of South Carolina on Sunday.

Lowry, who led after each of the first two weather-affected days, remained the man to catch until finding water at the 14th, just as Johnson had made his third birdie in succession.

While Lowry made an excellent bogey putt to limit the damage, suddenly he was two back of the world number one, who came within a shot of forcing a play-off at The Masters last week.

Johnson, who holed from 20 feet at the 13th before making a putt from more than twice that distance at the next, began to make mistakes over the difficult closing stretch and bogeys at the 16th and 17th saw him fall to 10-under.

That total remains enough to lead by one from Lowry, England's Ian Poulter and adopted Slovakian Rory Sabbatini.

Poulter had earlier posted the clubhouse lead courtesy of a second successive 67 to move onto nine-under, which means he'll tee off in the final group.

His round began with a double-bogey but the Ryder Cup star was blemish-free thereafter as he looks to win again little more than a year on from his Houston Open victory last spring.

But it's Johnson, who made six birdies in total on Saturday, who is the man to catch at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Day two report

Ireland's Shane Lowry kept hold of the lead until play was suspended due to darkness after a weather-blighted day two of the RBC Heritage tournament in South Carolina.

He was a shot ahead and nine under overall with two greens to go when his round was truncated, leaving him three under through 16 holes at a stormy Hilton Head.

Lowry had picked up two shots before play was halted due to the weather at 12.48pm local time - and did not get under way again for another three hours and 43 minutes.

Returning from the lengthy interruption he carded a birdie on the fifth, although dropped a shot soon after on the 187-yard par-three seventh.

The Irishman set off on an orderly return to the club house and picked up another shot on the 15th before play stopped for the day at 7.47pm.

Weather conditions are expected to be improved when he finishes off the round first thing on Saturday - with American Trey Mullinax vying to take over at the top of the leaderboard.

A shot behind him lie Emiliano Grillo and Dustin Johnson, who both shot 67s on Friday to rise into joint-third.

England's Ian Poulter also carded a 67 to rise into seventh on five under, tied with nine others including Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, who had five holes left to play.

Fellow Briton Tommy Fleetwood was tied for 18th on four under when play was suspended, but will also have five holes to improve his lot when play resumes.

Day one report

Ireland's Shane Lowry carded a bogey-free round of 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the RBC Heritage tournament in South Carolina.

Playing with a driver he used for the first time when he missed the cut at the Masters last week, Lowry carded birdies on all three par-fives to take a slender advantage.

Behind Lowry, four Americans - Trey Mullinax, Daniel Berger, Luke List and Ryan Moore - all carded five-under-par scores of 66.

Afterwards Lowry revealed the extent of the problems he has been having since starting the European season off on a high note with victory in Abu Dhabi.

He told a post-round press conference: "Pretty much my whole game felt good - I haven't had that feeling in a while.

"I just played them nicely today. I've struggled off the tee quite a bit this year and I managed to find a new driver that I like. I hit that pretty good."

Lowry had been struggling to break 70 all season and back-to-back rounds of 78 and 73 saw him miss the cut at Augusta.

He said he had tried at least 30 different drivers before finding the one which could help him reverse his recent fortunes.

"We've done a lot of work and I managed to find one I like," he added. "Today was the first day that I hit the ball well off the tee.

"I'm happy with my golf. My scores haven't been great of late, but I felt like I've been playing okay. So maybe this is a reward for the perseverance."

Another Irishman, Seamus Powell, carded a three-under 68 alongside Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, with Luke Donald and Ian Poulter among those two strokes further back.