Across four PGA Tour-sanctioned tours, Ricardo Gonzalez had made 38 starts during his career, surviving the cut 28 times. He had recorded six top-10 finishes and made nearly $350,000.
On Saturday, he finally broke through.
The 54-year-old Argentinian shot 3-under 70 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco to win Trophy Hassan II on the PGA Tour Champions, his 13th start on the circuit. Gonzalez finished at 10 under, one stroke in front of Thomas Bjorn, who carded a 4-under 69 on Saturday. Y.E. Yang, a co-leader heading into the final round, finished T-3 at 7 under along with Mark Hensby.
Gonzalez is the fourth player from Argentina to win on the PGA Tour Champions.
An incredible moment for Ricardo González
He’s just the fourth player from Argentina to win on PGA TOUR Champions. pic.twitter.com/WLH0GSc28T
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) February 24, 2024
“Very happy and very emotional,” Gonzalez said. “I worked so much to be here, and this is my trophy. I like that.”
After a bogey on the par-5 12th, Gonzalez had four straight birdies on Nos. 13-16 to take the lead and secure the victory. He earned $320,000 for his victory and moves to No. 3 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Stephen Ames, the event’s defending champion and last week’s winner at the Chubb Classic, finished T-16.
In his return to the PGA Tour Champions, fellow Argentinian Angel Cabrera finished T-27, with his best round of the week coming Saturday with a 3-under 70.
Angel Cabrera of Argentina in action during the final round of the Trophy Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam on February 24, 2024 in Rabat. (Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images)
Cabrera, the 2009 Masters champion, has been working on obtaining a visa to return to the United States and continue playing golf. He did not need a visa to travel from Argentina to Morocco for this week’s event.
“While competing in the Masters again is a dream, securing a visa is Angel’s priority at the moment so he can resume his professional career,” Cabrera’s manager Manuel Tagle wrote in an email to Golfweek last month. “We are working on getting an appointment with the U.S. Embassy in Argentina. Probably early March as his visa has expired January 2024.”