Former Tiger Bryson Nimmer wins Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera

CU Athletic Communications - 2 days ago

Clemson, SC—Former three-time Clemson All-American Bryson Nimmer won his first Korn Ferry Tour event on Sunday at the Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera in Maya, Mexico. Nimmer defeated former Purdue golfer Stuart Macdonald on the second hole of a playoff when Nimmer made par four and Macdonald made a bogey five.

Nimmer garnered the win in his 50th career Korn Ferry Tour event. It was his second career top 10 and he earned $180,000 with the victory. He also jumped from 163rd to 16th on the Korn Ferry Tour money list and it made him exempt on the tour for the rest of the year. The top 20 players on the Korn Ferry Tour at the end of the season earn a PGA Tour Card.

The native of Bluffton, SC, who turned professional in 2019, had rounds of 71-67-73-68 for a score of nine-under par 279 for the 72 holes of regulation. He had a six-under-par 30 on the back nine on Friday that put him in contention.

Nimmer was tied for fifth place, four shots behind leader Davis Chatfield entering Sunday. But the former Notre Dame All-American struggled to a five-over-par 77 and finished 10th.

Nimmer made four birdies in a row on holes 2-5 on Sunday, then made bogey on three of his last four on the front nine. But Nimmer shot a three-under par 33 on the back, including birdies on the 16th and 18th holes. His birdie putt on 16 was just two feet, and his birdie on 18 was just six feet.

Macdonald, playing in a group behind NImmer, also made birdie on the 18th hole by making a shot from 100-yards out. That gave him a final round 69 and a tie for the 72 holes with Nimmer at nine-under par.

The playoff called for both players to go back to the 18th hole. Both made par on the first playoff hole, then Nimmer made par on the 18th again, while Macdonald made a bogey, giving the former Tiger the victory.

Nimmer is the first former Clemson golfer to win a Korn Ferry Tour event since Carson Young won the Panama Championship in 2022.

Nimmer played at Clemson from 2015-19 and is still fourth in Clemson history in career stroke average (71.07). He is first in top 10 finishes with 28 and is second in career rounds in the 60s (46) and rounds under par (73). He won four tournaments in 2018-19 to set a Clemson season record and had 10 top 10 tournament finishes.

Former Tiger Billy Kennerly, who played at Clemson from 2011-15, finished third in the tournament with a 281 score after rounds of 69-72-70-70.