Christiaan Bezuidenhout closed with a one-over-par 73 on Sunday in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Florida.
That left him at one-under-par for the tournament and in a share of 19th. He was 11 strokes behind the winner after Russell Henley caught Collin Morikawa for the win with his closing two-under-par 70.
Henley chipped in for an eagle with two holes to play to pip Morikawa to the biggest title of his career. Henley was two over through 10 holes before birdies on the 12th and 14th brought him back into contention. He trailed Morikawa by one shot before his eagle chip from just off the 16th green moved him clear of the two-time major champion, who then missed a birdie putt.
The victory was his first since the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship, his fifth on the PGA Tour and his first at a signature event.
Canada’s Corey Conners placed third on nine under, qualifying him for the Open at Royal Portrush, with American Michael Kim fourth, one shot behind. His compatriot Keegan Bradley had recorded the lowest front-nine score in course history at seven-under 29, but finished on 64, tied for fifth with Austria’s Sepp Straka.
