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Golf Capsules

Smylie Kaufman hoists the trophy after winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, in Las Vegas. (Isaac Brekken / Associated Press)
Associated Press
Smylie Kaufman hoists the trophy after winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, in Las Vegas. (Isaac Brekken / Associated Press)

Smylie Kaufman won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas on Sunday in his fifth PGA Tour start, shooting a 10-under 61 and waiting more than two hours while rival after rival fell short.

Kaufman played the final 11 holes in 9 under with an eagle and seven birdies. The 23-year-old former LSU player set up the eagle with a 3-wood drive to 15 feet on the par-4 15th and closed with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to post 16-under 268 at TPC Summerlin.

Kevin Na, third-round leader Brett Stegmaier, Patton Kizzire, Cameron Tringale, Jason Bohn and Alex Cejka tied for second, a stroke back.

Na, coming off playoff loss last week to Emiliano Grillo in the season-opening event in Napa, California, made a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th to tie for the lead, but bogeyed the par-3 17th after flubbing a chip, and missed a 15-foot birdie try on 18.

Stegmaier had the last chance to force a playoff, but hit his approach on 18 into the left fringe and he came up short on a 20-foot birdie try.

Seven strokes back entering the round, Kaufman became the second straight rookie winner on the tour, earning $1,152,000 and a spot in the Masters. He also gets into the PGA Championship, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at Kapalua to start the new year and The Players Championship.

Na, the 2011 Las Vegas winner for his lone PGA Tour title, finished with a 67. Stegmaier shot 69, Kizzire 63, and Tringale, Bohn and Cejka 66.

William McGirt and Chad Campbell tied for eighth at 14 under. McGirt had a 62, going 9 under in a nine-hole stretch that ended with an eagle on the par-5 16th. Campbell had a 68.

LPGA

Lydia Ko ran away with the LPGA Taiwan Championship to regain the No. 1 spot in the world ranking.

The 18-year-old New Zealander holed a 30-yard pitch for eagle on the par-5 12th and finished with a 7-under 65 in sunny, breezy conditions at Miramar for a nine-stroke victory.

Ko took the top spot in the world from South Korea’s Inbee Park with her fifth LPGA Tour victory of the season and the 10th of her career. Park skipped her title defense at Miramar to play in a Korea LPGA event, where she tied for second Sunday.

At 18 years, 6 months, 1 day, Ko is the youngest player to win 10 events on any major tour. Horton Smith set the PGA Tour mark of 21 years, 7 months in 1929, and Nancy Lopez set the previous LPGA Tour record in 1979 at 22 years, 2 months, 5 days.

Ko broke ties with Park for the tour victory lead and the No. 1 spot in the player of the year points race, and earned $300,000 to increase her tour-leading total to $2,716,753.

The South Korean-born Ko finished at 20-under 268 after opening with rounds of 69, 67 and 67 to take a four-stroke lead into the final day. South Koreans So Yeon Ryu and Ji Eun-hee tied for second.

Ko has three victories in her last five starts. She won in Canada and France – where she became the youngest major champion – in consecutive starts, tied for second two weeks ago in Malaysia and tied for fourth last week in South Korea.