C.T. Pan is the 2015 Players Cup champion.

The 23-year-old, who was born in Taiwan and played his collegiate golf at the University of Washington, birdied four of his last seven holes at Pine Ridge and overtook both J.J. Spaun of Los Angeles and Robert Karlsson of Sweden.

“I can't even describe how I feel right now.” said Pan who made his professional debut at the 2015 U.S Open, made the cut, and finished tied for 64th at Chambers Bay last month.

“This has been something I have always dreamed for. This is my first pro win. I didn't expect it so soon but I guess it happened and it's awesome. It's beyond happiness.”

Pan fired a final round five-under par 66 Sunday at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR  Canada event and had a 72-hole total of 15-under par 269.

“I love the course,” said Pan who received the winners cheque of $31,500. “I think the course fits my eyes really good so I knew I had a chance. I had to just go out there and execute the shot and putt better.”

The blade was definitely the key late in round four as Pan, who was playing in just his fourth event as a professional, drained 10-foot birdie putts on the par 3 14th and 16th holes and sealed the deal with an uphill 40-footer that found the bottom of the cup on the par 4 17th.

That gave Pan a two-shot lead over Spaun and Karlsson as he stood on the 18th tee.

“I wanted to make it but I did not expect it to drop,” said Pan of his unexpected three on 17. “I hit it pretty hard and it dropped.”

 

 

Karlsson finished two shot back and says Pan deserved full credit for winning the Players Cup.

“I think five-under was a great score out there today, to be honest - under the pressure and under the circumstances. I had a couple of putts that could have gone in but didn't go in but still I'm happy with two-under. He beat me today. I don't feel like I lost it.”

It was a disappointing finish for Spaun who had a two-shot lead over Karlsson heading into the final round.

“Just missed a couple of short putts early on in the round and that just kind of killed some momentum,” said Spaun. “Couldn't make anything really and then hitting some good shots like shots that I wanted to hit and it was a yard too long or a yard too left like on 18. I had no lie. It was ridiculous. Unfortunately I made bogey. Just couldn't really get anything going – no momentum.”

Spaun finished alone in third place at minus 11.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ontario was the low Canadian as he finished in fourth spot at minus 10.

Charlie Boyechko, the lone Manitoban to make the cut, was 84 Sunday and finished in 64th place.

After a 16-year run at Pine Ridge, the Players Cup is moving to Niakwa in 2016.