A brilliant final round of six-under 65 has propelled Curtis Luck to his best finish in almost two years at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

The West Australian opened the tournament with a five-under 66 to sit just one off the lead but began the final round seven shots back and outside the top 20.

A birdie at the opening hole was the ideal start but it was the five shots he picked up in the space of five holes prior to making the turn that suddenly thrust Luck into contention.

A birdie at the par-5 12th got him to seven-under on his round and within one of the lead but a dropped shot two holes later would ultimately see him finish tied for fifth, two shots shy of the playoff won by Carl Yuan (65).

Luck had not finished inside the top 15 in any event since his victory at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship in August 2020 yet is now 56th on the Korn Ferry Tour moneylist, a leap of 78 spots in his fifth start of the season.

If Luck’s performance was a return to the form that saw him graduate to the PGA TOUR in 2019, Stephanie Kyriacou picked up exactly where she left off last year in her first Ladies European Tour start of the season.

After battling blustery winds on day one of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, Kyriacou played her way into contention with a six-under 66 on day two, highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 13th.

Although she was unable to rein in a runaway Georgia Hall, Kyriacou closed with an even-par 72 to earn a share of sixth.

It was a weekend without any Aussies as Sam Burns won the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship at the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with Davis Riley while Maverick Antcliff and Jason Scrivener finished square in a tie for 64th at the Steyn City Championship on the DP World Tour.

Results

PGA TOUR Valspar Championship Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Florida Winner Sam Burns 64-67-67-69—267 $US1.404m Won on the second hole of sudden death MC Jason Day 70-72—142 MC Mark Hensby 70-74—144 MC Cameron Percy 76-71—147

Ladies European Tour Aramco Saudi Ladies International Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, Saudi Arabia Winner Georgia Hall 69-69-68-71—277 €135,547 T6 Stephanie Kyriacou 75-66-72-72—285 €25,302 T17 Whitney Hillier 74-71-72-73—290 €13,929

Korn Ferry Tour Chitimacha Louisiana Open Le Triomphe Country Club, Broussard, Louisiana Winner Carl Yuan 68-66-71-65—270 $US135,000 Won on the first hole of sudden death T5 Curtis Luck 66-73-68-65—272 T51 Brett Drewitt 70-70-66-74—280 74 Rhein Gibson 71-68-79-73—291 MC Aaron Baddeley 77-70—147 MC Steven Bowditch 77-75—152 MC Nick Voke 67-76—143

DP World Tour Steyn City Championship Steyn City, Johannesburg, South Africa Winner Shaun Norris 64-62-67-70—263 €230,068 T64 Maverick Antcliff 71-68-71-72—282 €3,180 T64 Jason Scrivener 67-72-70-73—282 €3,180 MC Scott Hend 71-69—140