Lexi Thompson seals Indy win with traditional kiss of bricks

THE OVERVIEW By Ben Everill, PGATOUR.COM He’s built like a human hat rack; he plays like a human highlight film. The 6-foot-4, 160-pound Hadley won twice on the Web.com Tour last season, then opened eyes in his return to the PGA TOUR with three top-five finishes in his first three starts in the fall. He left the fall events at No. 8 in FedExCup points while moving up 42 spots in the world rankings, looking a lot like the superstar who burst onto the TOUR with a victory at the 2014 Puerto Rico Open. “That’s my thing, for me only,â€� Hadley said when asked how he reignited his career at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he finished second to Ryan Armour. “I’m not looking to help anybody else, if that doesn’t come across cross as selfish or arrogant. I’ve just kind of found something that works for me. Hopefully I can remember it and keep doing it.â€� TOP 30 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2018: We’ll countdown our list with one new player each day in December. Click here for the published players. MORE: Top 30 explanation and schedule Low-key off the course, where he unwinds with wood-working and crossword puzzles, Hadley makes must-see moments on it. He won with style at last season’s LECOM Health Challenge and Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco, the latter by shooting a final-round 65 to complete the biggest comeback win in the event’s 28-year history. And he went down swinging at three other tournaments, two of which he lost in wild sudden-death playoffs. A proven closer, Hadley, 30, now looks readier than ever to compete, and win, at the game’s highest level. Click here to follow Ben on Twitter FEDEXCUP 2017-18 position: 8 Playoff appearances: 2 TOUR Championship appearances: 0 Best result: 49th (2014) BY THE NUMBERS INSIGHTS FROM OUR INSIDERS TOUR INSIDER by Ben Everill He’s on this list for a reason — most of us around the PGA TOUR expect Hadley to enter the winner’s circle this season. Clearly a cut above last year on the Web.com Tour, Hadley’s confidence has returned after it went missing for a few seasons. After winning the Puerto Rico Open in 2014, the sky appeared the limit; instead he lost his card two years later. The learning curve appears to have worked — he’s already got three top three finishes this fall. He’s here to stay this time. Click here to follow Ben on Twitter  FANTAY INSIDER by Rob Bolton This is already a different time and space from when he paced the Web.com Tour in combined earnings in 2013. Now 30 years of age and a father of two, he’s made no secret of how fortunate he knows he is to climb back to the big leagues. With a lights-out fall already paving his way to the Playoffs, the next challenge will be how to sustain and parlay his 2017 Web.Com Tour Player of the Year award into the next big thing. With renewed perspective and experience that includes both success and humility, gamers are advised to invest in him time and again. Click here to follow Rob on Twitter EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Jonathan Wall Plays a fairly stock setup with 13 Titleist clubs. 917D3 driver has 10.5 degrees of loft. Carries a 718 T-MB 3-iron instead of a traditional long iron. Has four-degree loft gaps between his gap wedge (52), sand wedge (56) and lob wedge (60). Only non-Titleist club in the bag is an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter.  Click here to follow Jonathan on Twitter STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte Colorful preppy looks have been Chesson’s go-tos since arriving on TOUR. His recent move to Peter Millar’s luxurious threads will provide him with a style upgrade for 2018. Opting for tailored shirts with a slimmer cut would be a good New Year’s resolution for Hadley.  Click here to follow Greg on Twitter

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HOUSTON — Carlos Ortiz held off Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama by closing with a 5-under 65 to win the Vivint Houston Open on Sunday, becoming the first player from Mexico to win on the PGA TOUR in 42 years. RELATED: Final leaderboard | Old driver helps Koepka finish strong | Winner’s Bag: Carlos Ortiz He earned every bit of it, caught in a tight battle on the back nine with the defending FedExCup winner and Japan’s biggest star. Ortiz delivered the winner with a 6-iron to 8 feet on the par-5 16th. He had to settle for a two-putt birdie, and it held up when Johnson and Matsuyama narrowly missed birdie chances coming in. Ortiz finished in style. Needing two putts to win, the 29-year-old holed a 20-foot birdie putt for a two-shot victory. Ortiz held back tears as he waited for his playing partners to putt. The victory sends him to the Masters Tournament next April. He was there a year ago to watch his brother, Alvaro, who qualified by winning the Latin American Amateur. "It feels awesome," said Ortiz, who grew up in Guadalajara and played at North Texas with Sebastian Munoz of Colombia, the most recent Latin American winner on TOUR. "This is like my second home. There was a bunch of people cheering for me, Latinos and Texans. I’m thankful for all of them." It was the loudest cheer for a winner since March. The Vivint Houston Open was the first domestic PGA TOUR event that allowed spectators, with 2,000 tickets sold daily. They were treated to a good show. The last Mexico-born player to win was Victor Regelado, who captured the Quad Cities Open in 1978. Johnson was making his first start since the U.S. Open after a positive coronavirus test knocked him out of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD. After opening with a 72, Johnson rallied with two rounds of 66 and a closing 65. His one regret would be the 16th hole. Tied for the lead, Johnson fanned a 7-iron for his second shot on the par 5, leaving a tough chip to 18 feet and a birdie putt that grazed the left edge of the cup. Johnson had another birdie putt catch the lip on the next hole. Matsuyama briefly tied for the lead with birdies on the 16th and 17th, making a 15-footer on the 17th just moments before Ortiz made his birdie on the 16th. Ortiz finished at 13-under 267. Sam Burns, the 54-hole leader, had a 72 and Jason Day closed with a 71. Neither was a factor for much of the day. This was about Ortiz holding off two players with plenty of experience winning and tasting it for the first time.

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