Garrick Higgo Triumphs in Dramatic Fashion at Corales Puntacana Championship
South African golfer Garrick Higgo emerged victorious at the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship, securing his second PGA TOUR title in dramatic fashion. Battling gusty winds and a fiercely competitive leaderboard, Higgo clinched a one-shot win over five challengers in what proved to be a grueling final round at the Corales Course in the Dominican Republic.
The course, a par-72 layout located along the eastern shoreline of the island, is notorious for its exposure to strong coastal winds — and this year’s final round was no exception. With a final-round scoring average of 73.129, the toughest in the event’s eight-year history, Higgo's even-par 72 stood as a testament to his resilience. He carded three birdies and three bogeys, managing to hold steady as others faltered.
This win is especially meaningful for the 25-year-old left-hander, who entered the 2025 season with only conditional status on the PGA TOUR. Prior to this event, Higgo had played just two other TOUR events this season and four on the Korn Ferry Tour. Notably, he finished one stroke shy of a playoff at the Club Car Championship and placed T12 at the Puerto Rico Open. Despite relatively long odds at +5000 before the tournament, Higgo proved the oddsmakers wrong.
Higgo’s first PGA TOUR victory came in 2021 at the Palmetto Championship, where he entered the field on a commissioner’s exemption. That breakthrough win opened doors to major championships, though he hasn’t qualified for one since 2022. That changes now — his win in Punta Cana earns him a spot in the 2025 PGA Championship. He's also secured entries into the 2026 editions of The Sentry and THE PLAYERS Championship. Along with the victory, Higgo pockets $720,000 and adds 300 FedExCup points to his season tally.
However, this win doesn’t grant automatic entry into upcoming Signature Events, as the Corales Puntacana Championship is categorized as an Additional Event. Still, he currently leads the Aon Swing 5, positioning himself well for future starts.
The loss was especially bitter for Joel Dahmen, the 2021 Corales champion. After setting a course record with a first-round 62 and maintaining the lead through three rounds, Dahmen faltered in the final stretch with bogeys on the 16th, 17th, and 18th holes. His closing 76 left him one shot behind Higgo, tied for second alongside Keith Mitchell, Alejandro Tosti, Michael Thorbjornsen, and Jeremy Paul.
Keith Mitchell entered as the tournament favorite with +1400 odds, while Charley Hoffman, at 48 years old, continued to impress with a T9 finish. Last year’s champion, Matt Wallace, returned to post a solid T12 after skipping his title defense in 2024.
This year’s Corales Puntacana Championship offered no shortage of drama, proving once again that even under the relaxed banner of “resort golf,” the fight for victory on the PGA TOUR is anything but easy.
