Clay Feagler survives four-hole playoff to win inaugural Bupa Championship

In playoff fashion, Clay Feagler emerged victorious over Davis Shore at the Bupa Championship at Tulum to become the first winner in PGA TOUR Americas history. Feagler defeated Shore in a four-hole playoff by making a bogey on No. 10 after both players found the water on their approach shots. Feagler recovered to claim the first professional victory of his career at PGA Riviera Maya.

As a conditional member, Feagler needed to earn his place in the field through the Monday Qualifier, also held at PGA Riviera Maya. On the final hole Monday, Feagler sank a 40-foot birdie putt to force a 6-for-3 playoff, and then birdied the first extra hole to earn a spot in the TOUR’s first event. In all, Feagler played 95 holes of competition this week.

Entering the final round one shot shy of the leader, Feagler found momentum on the back nine after making an eagle on No. 14 – the 584-yard par 5. A bogey on the next hole once again left Feagler one stroke behind the leader. Feagler regained a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-3 17th, which played to a 3.400 average for the week, setting the stage for the dramatic playoff victory.

Feagler’s road to success was far from easy. The 25-year-old battled with his father’s passing in March of last year, and simultaneously lost passion for the game of golf. He lost his Korn Ferry Tour card shortly after entering his second season on the TOUR, and played a partial schedule on PGA TOUR Canada that summer.

Solid play on PGA TOUR Canada allowed for Feagler to gain conditional membership on the inaugural PGA TOUR Americas season. Feagler accoladed his victorious return to the immense support of his family, and the remembrance of his late father: “I know he’s up there. Definitely smiling down at me. It was a great week,” said Feagler, who had his girlfriend Meredith as his caddie. “Felt like he was out there with me today. I think everyone that’s been in my corner; my mom, my sister and obviously Meredith, she just has been an anchor for me for the last year, so it’s been great.”

Feagler will return to competition at next week’s Totalplay Championship as a fully exempt member on PGA TOUR Americas. The Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club will be the second event of the Latin America Swing, taking place March 28-31 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

About Clay Feagler (1st/-4)

Age: 25

Birthplace: Newport Beach, California

Residence: The Woodlands, Texas

College: Pepperdine University

Fortinet Cup: First

• With the win, becomes an exempt member on PGA TOUR Americas for the remainder of the 2024 season and through the Latin America Swing of 2025; earned 500 points and is No. 1 in the Fortinet Cup
• Played 164 rounds during his collegiate career at Pepperdine, the most in program history
• Tied Pepperdine’s program record for career wins with four
• Secured the winning point against Oklahoma in 2021 to give Pepperdine their first National Championship since 1997
• Feagler, Joe Highsmith and William Mouw won their matches to defeat Oklahoma 3-2 in 2021 National Championship
• One of seven players in Pepperdine history to be named an All-WCC first team selection four times
• Favorite sport outside of golf is basketball
• Favorite movie is The Dark Knight, and favorite book is The Great Gatsby

Competition Notes

Course Setup: Par 72 / 7,272 yards; Cumulative average: 74.650

Weather: Mostlysunny with a high of 85. Wind from the NW at 3-9 mph with gusts up to 19 mph.

• Lawren Rowe (T7/-1) shot the lowest final round, carding a 5-under 67.
• The top player from Mexico, José de Jesús Rodríguez, finished T31 at 5-over after rounds of 68-71-78-76.
• Three players from Argentina finished in the top 12: Julián Etulain (3rd/-3), Jesus Montenegro (T7/-1), Andres Gallegos (T12/E).
• .Three players from Canada finished in the top 12: Joey Savoie (T4/-2), Lawren Rowe (T7/-1), Jimmy Jones (T12/E). Feagler (1st/-4) was one of six Monday qualifiers who made the cut: Patrick Flavin (T7/-1), Eddy Lai (T12/E), Nicholas Infanti (T21/+3), Garrett Barber (T31/+5) and S.M. Lee (T70/+17).
• Flavin was not otherwise exempt for next week’s event, but earned a spot by finishing in the top 10 this week.
• Hole 6 – the 432-yard par 4 – was the most challenging hole through 72 holes; averaging +.540 with 22 birdies carded through the weekend.
• The course played +2.650 strokes over-par through the duration of the tournament; the front nine played at +1.320, and the back played +1.330.