Steven Bowditch rode his best birdie binge on the PGA Tour to a five-under 64 and a four-shot victory Sunday in the AT&T Byron Nelson, winning in the Australian’s adopted home for his second career title – both in Texas.Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Steven Bowditch rode his best birdie binge on the PGA Tour to a five-under 64 and a four-shot victory Sunday in the AT&T Byron Nelson, winning in the Australian's adopted home for his second career title – both in Texas.
Bowditch, who got married at the resort next to the TPC Four Seasons five years after attempting suicide at his Dallas home while battling depression in 2006, had 27 birdies while becoming the seventh player to lead all four rounds of the event. He finished at 18-under 259 on the rain-altered layout.
Charley Hoffman (65), Texan Jimmy Walker (66) and Scott Pinckney (66) tied for second at 14-under. Zach Johnson shot 63 to finish alone in fifth at 13-under.
Hometown favourite and Masters champion Jordan Spieth finished seven under after an even-par 69.
Playing with Bowditch in the final group, Dustin Johnson briefly overtook him early in the round before making an eight at the par-four sixth. He finished at 11 under with a 69.
Graham DeLaet was the top Canadian with a two-under 67 on Sunday to finish tied for 22nd. The Weyburn, Sask., native shot an eight-under 269 for the tournament.
A sunny day wrapped up two otherwise soggy weeks of golf in Dallas-Fort Worth, including a five-inch overnight downpour after the first round of the Nelson that turned one of its toughest holes – the par-four 14th – into a pitch-and-putt par three of barely 100 yards for the final three rounds.
While birdies were the norm after easy wedge shots from what might normally be a drop area in front of a green-side pond, Bowditch had to save par from about 12 feet to keep a three-shot lead, pumping his right fist after the ball dropped in.
Up by three at the spectator-friendly 17th, Bowditch leaned as if he thought his tee shot on the par three might go in the water to the right of the green. Instead, the ball landed safety on the back of the green, and Bowditch – who won the 2014 Texas Open in San Antonio – raised his putter as the ball birdie putt rolled in the punctuate the win.
Spieth had an opening birdie, but quickly gave it back at the par-three second. He went in the water twice for bogeys on the back nine, including on 17 a day after he gave big galleries that followed him all week their biggest thrill by almost hitting the pin on the fly on the 198-yard hole.
After getting within three shots of the lead halfway through the tournament, Spieth never threatened and ended his streak of second-place finishes in all three previous Texas events this year. The 21-year-old Dallas player tied for 30th five years after finishing 16th in his first tour event as a 16-year-old amateur.
Nordqvist takes fifth career tour title
Anna Nordqvist birdied the 16th and 17th holes to break out of the pack and win the ShopRite LPGA Classic by a stroke Sunday. With her mother visiting from Sweden, the 27-year-old Nordqvist closed with a two-under 69 in windy conditions to finish at eight-under 205 at Stockton Seaview's Bay Course. The former Arizona State player has five career LPGA Tour titles, winning twice each in 2009 and 2014. Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands, seeking her first LPGA win after three wins on the European tour, finished second with 68 for 206. American Morgan Pressel, who held one-shot leads after each of the first two rounds, registered a 73 to share third place with American rookie Kelly Shon (70) on five-under 208.
Dane wins Irish Open
Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark won the Irish Open after a three-way playoff Sunday after his short winning putt on the first extra hole nearly lipped out before dropping. Kjeldsen entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, but only managed a five-over 76 and finished in a tie with Eddie Pepperell of England and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria. All had a two-under total of 282 on the wind-swept, rain-battered Royal County Down, where just five of the 156 competitors finished the tournament under par.