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A tap-in par at the final hole gave Kizzire his
first victory on tour, one stroke ahead of Fowler and four in
front of South Korean Kim Si-woo at El Camaleon Golf Club in
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
"It was pretty nerve-racking but I felt good," Kizzire said in a
greenside interview after carding 67 to finish at 19-under-par
265.
Fowler, in his first start of the 2017-18 season, birdied the
16th and 17th holes to put pressure on Kizzire but left a long
birdie putt at the last short.
He also shot 67 and had to settle for his 12th second-placing on
tour to go along with four victories.
The $766,800 consolation prize lifted Fowler over $30 million in
career earnings.
It took Kizzire 63 starts to finish on top, but he channeled
past experiences that included two wins on the secondary Web.com
Tour.
"I've been in tough spots before and I drew from all my
experiences," he said. "It means a lot. I'm pretty excited right
now, pretty emotional and I was glad to get it done. Rickie made
me work hard."
The 31-year-old hopes his win provides the springboard for
further success.
"I want to win golf tournaments and it feels good to get it done
today. That gives me a lot of confidence. I understand There's a
lot of good players out here.
"I just want to keep working hard and win bigger and bigger and
better things. The tournament this week was awesome and I was
glad to get my first win here."
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Tokyo; Editing by Ian Ransom)
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