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Oct. 26 (UPI) -- American Patrick Cantlay sank nine birdies in the final round to edge Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm by one stroke to win the 2020 Zozo Championship in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Cantlay trailed by four strokes before he carded birdies on four of five holes on the back nine to take control on Sunday at Sherwood Country Club. He fired a 7-under par 65 in the final round.
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"It's really great to win at home," Cantlay, a Long Beach, Calif., native told reporters. "I look forward to hopefully winning at Riviera. Anytime you win close to home it just feels a little sweeter.
"I felt comfortable all week. I like this cloudy California weather. I'm used to it and it's what I grew up with. It was just a nice week."
The victory was Cantlay's first on the PGA Tour since the 2019 Memorial Tournament.
Cantlay was 23-under through four rounds. He moved from No. 14 to No. 9 in the Official World Golf Ranking due to the victory. He also moved up to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Thomas fired a 3-under par 69 and Rahm shot a 4-under par 68 over the final 18 holes. Rahm missed a chance to take over the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking with his second-place finish.
Russell Henley, Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson and Ryan Palmer tied for fourth place. Corey Conners, Joel Dahmen and Cameron Champ tied for eighth place. World No. 4 Collin Morikawa tied for 50th. No. 5 Rory McIlroy tied for 17th.
Tiger Woods tied for 72nd at 1-under par for the tournament.
"I played the par 5s awful," Woods said. "This is a golf course where you have to take advantage of the par 5s, because they all are reachable.
"The only thing I can take out of the week I did positive is that I putted well."
Cantlay, 28, made five birdies and a bogey on the front nine in Sunday's final round. He birdied Nos. 11, 13, 14 and 15 before he made a bogey on No. 16 and carded pars on his final two holes to win the tournament.
Sebastian Munoz shot a 64 for the first-round lead at the Zozo Championship. Thomas took over the second-round lead at 14-under par before he held a one-stroke lead on Rahm entering Sunday's final round.
The Bermuda Championship is the next tournament on the 2020-2021 PGA Tour schedule. That tournament runs from Thursday through Sunday at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda.
Golfers will participate in the Vivint Houston Open from Nov. 5 to 8 before the 2020 Masters Tournament from Nov. 12 to 15 at Augusta National Golf Club.
