WA golfer Curtis Luck claims maiden tour win at Children’s Hospital Championship

WA golfer Curtis Luck has claimed his maiden professional win after outlasting a competitive field to claim victory in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course overnight.

The 24-year-old finished the week at 11-under 273 after entering the final round with a one-stroke advantage, but it was not all easy going on the last day.

After seven consecutive pars to start the day, Luck dropped shots at the eighth and 11th to fall off the top of the leaderboard which at one stage saw five players sharing the lead.

Luck would par the next three holes before birdies on 15 and 16 saw him build momentum and gave him the sole lead at 11-under.

But the drama was not over, with Luck holding a one-stroke lead over playing partner Cameron Young at the start of the 18th, while Theo Humphrey and Taylor Montgomery were the clubhouse leaders at 10-under 274.

Luck’s drive on the final hole hit a tree but still found the fairway, before his approach missed the green and found the greenside bunker, leaving him with a difficult up-and-down.

But Luck held his nerve with both the bunker shot and the seven-foot putt to finish with par, while Young missed a chance for birdie and to send it to a play-off.

“It was brutal out there. I had a right miss all day and I was desperately trying to work it up the left when I could,” Luck said after the win.

“Luckily hit a couple of good shots down the last and obviously holed a few putts to save my skin.

“I am just stoked to get a win out here.”

Luck said he was yet to get on top of his swing changes he had made in the last year as he looks to take his game to the next level.

“The last 18 months have been tough, particularly the first nine months of those were brutal,” he said.

“I started making changes at the end of last year to try to conquer them and I am going to be completely honest I do not feel like I am on top of them yet.

“But if I can win when I am not on top of the swing changes, that’s I feel like the reason why I am making them that when I hopefully get the chance to be out on the PGA tour, I’m ready to compete rather than just making up the numbers.”