It was Erik van Rooyen’s turn to shoot a 10-under-par 62 on Sunday as he raced 21 places up the PGA Tour’s American Express leaderboard in La Quinta, California to finish in a share of sixth.

In a tournament that winner Jon Rahm scathingly referred to as a ‘putting contest’, Van Rooyen’s 72-hole tally of 23-under-par was four shots off the pace. In the end, Rahm broke rookie Davis Thompson’s heart after the American’s 50-footer for birdie on the 17^th clipped the flagstick and stayed out. That was after Rahm had made birdie on 16 to take the lead.

Van Rooyen made birdies on one and four in a solid start. Then he chipped in for eagle on the fifth, and his great scoring got a great lift from that. Birdies on seven and eight saw him turn in six-under-par 30, and he made four more birdies on his way home.

One shot back from Van Rooyen on 22-under and in a share of 11^th were Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Garrick Higgo. Higgo had a superb nine-under-par 63 in his closing round to climb 16 places, and Bezuidenhout, who had a 62 of his own in the third round, finished things off with a three-under 69.

Dean Burmester had a level-par 72 in the final round, and finished up in a share of 54^th.