Garrick Higgo Wins the Corales Puntacana Championship as Joel Dahmen Bogeys the Last Three

Garrick Higgo signed for an even-par 72 on Sunday with the tournament still out of his hands. One group of somebody else's golf later, it was his.

Higgo won the Corales Puntacana Championship at 14-under 274, one shot clear of a five-way tie for second, after Joel Dahmen bogeyed each of his last three holes in the group behind him. Dahmen, who had led after every round, closed with a 4-over 76 and finished at 13 under alongside Alejandro Tosti (68), Keith Mitchell (71), Jeremy Paul (72) and Michael Thorbjornsen (73). It is Higgo's second PGA TOUR title and the first since the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree.

Three Holes That Changed Everything

The windy final round had been a grind for Dahmen from the start, but with three holes to play he still held a one-shot lead. Then the finish came apart.

At the 16th, his approach went long left and a 12-foot par putt lipped out, per The Spokesman-Review. He still led by one on the 17th tee. At the par-3 17th, his tee shot just missed the green, his second stopped close, and then he missed the par putt from about 3 feet, per the PGA TOUR. On the par-4 18th, needing a par to force a playoff, Dahmen missed the green right with his approach, chipped to about 8 feet and missed that par putt too, per the AP.

Three holes, three bogeys, and a 54-hole lead of three shots was gone. His 76 was the highest final-round score among the top 37 finishers.

Dahmen Owns It

There was no spin from the runner-up. "I think I'm in a little bit of shock, honestly," Dahmen said. "It's not how you win a golf tournament, I'll tell you that. I don't deserve to win it."

He did not hide from the details either. "You know, bogeying the last three is inexcusable," Dahmen said, per the PGA TOUR. "This one could take a while to get over."

The consolation is real, if small on a day like this. The tie for second moved Dahmen to No. 69 in the FedExCup standings from No. 77, according to the PGA TOUR, a meaningful jump in a season where only the top 100 keep full status for 2026.

Higgo's Steady Hand

Higgo's own round was not spotless. He bogeyed the 13th and the 17th, and finished with a par at 18 while Dahmen was still on the course behind him. Of the four players who started the day in the top two spots, Higgo was the only one who did not finish over par. On a day like this, avoiding the big number was a weapon.

The 25-year-old left-hander from Johannesburg, a former UNLV player, came into 2025 with limited TOUR status and had been splitting time between the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA TOUR. He has also rebuilt his game along the way.

"I've changed my swing completely and obviously I've had to deal with some injuries," Higgo said, per Field Level Media. "I'd say it's definitely a bit of a relief."

"This is unbelievable and this is why I play the game," Higgo added, per AFP.

What the Win Buys

The prize package is the kind that reshapes a career. Higgo earned 300 FedExCup points, $720,000 and full PGA TOUR status through 2027, per the PGA TOUR. The win also puts him into the PGA Championship in May, after Higgo had not qualified for a major since 2022, and secures spots in The Sentry and THE PLAYERS Championship in 2026. Because Additional Event winners do not get automatic entry into the remaining Signature Events, the points also moved him to the top of the Aon Swing 5, which makes him eligible for the Truist Championship. It does not include a trip to the Masters.

The Ones That Got Away

Dahmen was not the only player who saw a playoff slip away on the 18th green. Thorbjornsen, three back to start the day, had a 4-foot par putt on the final hole that would have forced extra holes and missed it. Tosti made the biggest charge of the day, starting eight shots back and posting a 68 to grab a share of second. Mitchell (71) and Paul (72) both finished one short.

Chan Kim, who played in the final pairing with Dahmen, shot 74 and tied for seventh with Vince Whaley at 12 under. Charley Hoffman, Ben Martin and Matti Schmid tied for ninth at 11 under.

The Takeaway

This tournament will be remembered as much for the finish Dahmen did not have as for the one Higgo did. But Higgo did his part: he stayed patient, stayed close in tough wind and put a number on the board that forced the leader to make pars. Dahmen could not. For Higgo, the result is a second TOUR win, a full card and a fresh schedule. For Dahmen, the course record, the 36-hole record and a three-shot lead on Sunday morning add up to a loss that, in his own words, is "going to sting for a while."

Relive the week in our Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 recaps. Final results are on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's final-round story (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (final-round story, points and payouts, leaderboard), AP, Field Level Media, AFP, Golf Monthly, The Spokesman-Review. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.