J.T. Poston wins the Shriners Children’s Open

What rust?

J.T. Poston hadn’t played since the BMW Championship in August but the break helped his game hit a new peak.

Poston shot a final-round 4-under 67 at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas on Sunday to win the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open by one stroke over Doug Ghim.

“I know I had a comfortable lead for most of the day but it never felt safe,” Poston said.

The 31-year-old Poston from Hickory, North Carolina, dreamed of becoming a Tarheel at the University of North Carolina but never got an offer and ended up playing at Western Carolina, where he was two-time Player of the Year in the Southern Conference. Not being considered one of the highly-touted players has given him a chip on his shoulder, but thanks to a strong wedge game and a putting stroke to die for, Poston needed just one season on the Korn Ferry Tour and has blossomed into a consistent top-50 player and a now a three-time winner on the PGA Tour.

A putt to win on the 72nd hole 🏆@JT_ThePostman is back in the winner’s circle @ShrinersOpen! pic.twitter.com/OOTr6GeSIs

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 21, 2024

Poston finished 41^st in the FedEx Cup this season and it gave him a chance to put the clubs aways for several weeks and reset and recharge his battery with a long family vacation to the North Carolina mountains, though with a six-month-old daughter running around it’s questionable how much rest he really enjoyed.

“She changes every day, every week, and so just get to go see that and be there for her and my wife has been incredible,” Poston said.

Poston always had this event circled as one he wanted to play this fall at a course with bentgrass greens like the ones he grew up playing as a kid. He also had some unfinished business after tying for third last season in Las Vegas.

Shriners Children’s Open: Leaderboard | Photos

This time, Poston opened with a bogey-free 64 and tacked on rounds of 65 and 66. The third round was suspended Saturday evening with 30 players still on the course, including Poston, who returned Sunday morning and made three birdies in his final five holes to build a three-stroke lead.

In the final round, Poston made birdies at the first and fourth holes and then skated along with seven straight pars to give his competitors a sense that trophy still was up for grabs. Ghim, a Las Vegas resident and competing on his home course, sank an 11-foot eagle putt at the ninth hole to reach 19 under and cut Poston’s lead to one. He wasted a great chance to…