July 26, 2021
Cameron Champ picked up his third PGA TOUR title after saving par at the last to secure a two-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen, Jhonattan Vegas and Charl Schwartzel at the 3M Open.
The 26-year old pulled his tee shot into the thick rough on the final hole and after being unable to find the fairway with an attempted punch out, he eventually laid up with his third shot. Champ then hit a stunning wedge shot to three feet and rolled in the par putt for a bogey-free five under par round of 66 to secure victory at TPC Twin Cities.
Champ has endured a tough season prior to teeing it up in Minnesota, missing 11 cuts, but he acknowledges he is still learning at the age of 26 and a recent re-evaluation proved the catalyst for an upturn in form.
“You know, we’re still young,” Champ said. “I just turned 26. Obviously, I’ve done a lot and I’ve had some success, but at the end of the day I still have to figure out myself and how I’m going to manage both of those sides.
“After Detroit (Rocket Mortgage) I just took a step back and said, ‘You know what? This is enough, I can’t keep going on this way, I’m not enjoying the game, it’s not fun, and in order for me to enjoy the game and for it to be fun, I have to be true to myself and who I truly am as a person.’ That’s kind of how I’ve been on the course.
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“I’m married, now I have responsibilities, soon I want to start a family with my wife. Again, for me, it’s more so realizing what I want to do in the game of golf and then who I want to be at home. It’s a balance you have to find, and if you don’t, it can really haunt you.
“I just feel like the last two months I’ve been in a lot better head space and kind of realizing what is truly important to me and what is not.”
Oosthuizen was closing to putting even more pressure on Champ but saw his 95-yard approach shot lip out at the last to finish tied second on 13 under par alongside Vegas and Schwartzel, while American Keith Mitchell finished fifth on 12 under par.
