Quebec’s Joey Savoie earns first PGA Tour Americas title in Ecuador
Golf Canada
QUITO, Ecuador — Joey Savoie delivered under pressure Sunday, birdieing the final hole of regulation and again in a playoff to capture his first PGA TOUR Americas title at the Kia Open de Ecuador presentado por Diners Club.
The 30-year-old from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., defeated American Jack Lundin on the third playoff hole after the pair finished tied at 21-under-par at Quito Tenis y Golf Club.
Savoie closed with a 4-under 68, while Lundin surged into the clubhouse lead earlier in the day after firing a tournament-low 8-under 64.
The Canadian appeared firmly in control entering the closing stretch, holding a one-shot advantage with three holes remaining before momentum shifted dramatically late in the round.
A bogey at the par-3 16th ended a bogey-free streak that had stretched 38 holes and dropped Savoie into a tie for the lead. One hole later, he three-putted the par-5 17th for another bogey to fall one shot behind Lundin.
Needing birdie at the 72nd hole to extend the tournament, Savoie calmly rolled in a 10-foot putt at the par-4 18th to force a playoff.
Three extra holes later, he delivered once more.
Savoie converted another birdie putt from roughly the same distance on the par-4 10th to secure the victory and become the fifth Canadian to win on PGA TOUR Americas.
“It’s never easy to win the first one, it’s never easy to win any golf tournament at this level,” Savoie said afterward. “I think there’s a big sigh of relief, and also just being grateful that it was my week this week.”
The victory marks a breakthrough moment for Savoie, now in his seventh season as a professional. Sunday’s triumph came in his 36th career PGA TOUR Americas start and his 74th PGA TOUR-sanctioned start overall.
The win also carried personal significance.
Following last year’s tournament in Ecuador, Savoie said he spent time questioning whether he should continue pursuing professional golf before ultimately deciding to keep going if his health improved.
“It’s just funny that my first PGA TOUR (Americas) win is where I made the decision to keep playing,” he said.
The victory moves Savoie to No. 2 on the PGA TOUR Americas Points List and continues a strong stretch for Canadian players on the circuit.
He joins Matthew Anderson, Stuart Macdonald, A.J. Ewart and Drew Nesbitt as Canadian winners on PGA TOUR Americas over the past two seasons.
Ecuador’s Felipe Garcés, competing professionally in his home country for the first time, finished eighth at 17-under after closing with a bogey-free 65. The 25-year-old also recorded a hole-in-one during Thursday’s opening round.
Also in the field was Canadian amateur Dayton Price, who competed on a sponsor exemption in his first PGA TOUR Americas appearance. The 23-year-old Ontario native missed the cut after rounds of 80 and 76, but his return to elite competition marked another milestone in a remarkable comeback journey.
Price survived the 2022 crash involving the University of the Southwest golf team in New Mexico that claimed the lives of six teammates and a coach. He suffered severe burns and underwent extensive rehabilitation before returning to competitive golf.
