Muñoz overcomes self-doubt at Sanderson Farms

The Sanderson Farms Championship, in its first iteration as a full FedExCup event, gave us a 17-year-old in his pro debut (Akshay Bhatia), a veteran showing he might yet crawl out of a slump (Zach Johnson) and, ultimately, an exciting International shootout between a bevy of Presidents cup hopefuls. Ultimately, Sebastián Muñoz from Colombia nudged out PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Sungjae Im in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson. Welcome to the Monday Finish. Related: What’s in Muñoz’s bag? | The stats behind Muñoz’s first TOUR win THREE KEYS TO SUCCESS 1. A blistering 9-under 63 on Saturday was the catalyst to Muñoz having a chance at his first title. Having opened 70-67, it was Saturday’s nine-birdie effort that sent him surging into contention. 2. Recovery from missed fairways. Muñoz finished 42nd in driving accuracy after hitting 29 fairways, but he was 12th in greens hit (57 of 72). His iron play was good enough that he didn’t have to make a putt longer than 15 feet for any of his 21 birdies. 3. A little motivation and advice from a friend. After seeing Joaquin Niemann win the week before at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, Muñoz talked to his friend about closing the deal on the plane ride to Mississippi. “Him winning last week was the last piece of the puzzle that I needed to know that we’re good enough to compete, that we’re PGA TOUR members and we play to win,â€� Muñoz said. OBSERVATIONS The path to the PGA TOUR is clear cut for some. Some playera are born into golf families with unlimited access to facilities. Of course, they all work hard to get there – talent alone is never enough. But then there are the other stories, ones of players who had to overcome much steeper odds. Sebastián Muñoz never thought he’d make the PGA TOUR, let alone win. Do yourself a favor and read about his improbably journey here.  Ernie Els was probably a little concerned a month ago as he started thinking about the options for his four captain’s picks for December’s Presidents Cup at Australia’s Royal Melbourne. While there are plenty of eligible players he can choose from, including those with pedigree as impressive as Jason Day and Branden Grace, the play of those players had been a little questionable. Over the last two weeks, his smile must have grown, as more and more names are making a case to be selected. Joaquin Niemann and Sebastián Muñoz have both now won on the PGA TOUR. Sungjae Im continues to contend. Ben An has reemerged as a serious contender. The next few weeks are going to be huge for those trying to prove their worth. Read more about potential International team picks here. Akshay Bhatia may have missed the cut in his pro debut, but remember, he’s just 17. The youngster had a chance to make the weekend had he made birdie on his final hole – a pretty impressive feat in itself for the youngest-ever Walker Cup competitor. Ultimately, he missed out, but with starts over the next few weeks up his sleeve, it was a great learning experience. Should be fun to follow his on-course education. Read about Bhatia’s optimism moving forward here.  QUOTEBOARD “I never really thought I was going to be a PGA TOUR professional. I didn’t think I was that good.” – winner Sebastián Muñoz “I’m trying to treat each week as a phenomenal opportunity to get better.â€� – two-time major winner Zach Johnson, who had his first top-25 finish (T14) since April. “I haven’t played a skins format in quite some time, so it will be fun to try something a little different and add a few strategic elements as we compete. There has already been some friendly banter between us and that will continue until we get to the first tee.â€� – Tiger Woods after it was confirmed he will take on Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama in a skins game in Japan.  SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

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