Monday 24 April 2017 14:23, UK
Kevin Chappell survived a huge test of nerve as well as a final-round charge from Brooks Koepka as he clinched his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Valero Texas Open.
Chappell kept his composure to hole the winning birdie putt from eight feet on the 72nd green to snatch a one-shot win over Koepka, who had earlier stormed into the clubhouse lead on 11 under after firing a superb 65.
It was a long-awaited breakthrough for Chappell after a number of near-misses in his 179 previous starts on Tour, and he faltered only twice during his final-day 68 in calmer conditions at TPC San Antonio.
After sleeping on a one-shot lead overnight, Chappell got off to the ideal start as he birdied the long second and added another at the next from 10 feet, although he then three-putted the fifth green from 25 feet.
But the 30-year-old got back on track with a sublime tee-shot in close at the short seventh, and his approach to the 10th pulled up just a foot from the cup and left a simple tap in which lifted him to 11 under.
Chappell lipped out for eagle at the 14th as he retained his outright lead, but he fell into a share at the top with Koepka when he bunkered his second to 15 and failed to get up and down.
He made a clutch par save at 17 after he drove to the front fringe and opted to putt, but he misjudged the line and pace and then raced his birdie putt four feet past the cup before the return dropped in the left side.
But after laying up at the par-five final hole, Chappell's measured wedge pitched on the back-left portion of the green and the putt for victory looked on target from the moment his ball left the clubface.
Koepka had to settle for outright second after piling the pressure on the leader, making birdies at the opening two holes and then three in a row from the sixth as he caught fire on the greens.
His momentum stalled when he three-putted the ninth green, but he responded with further birdies at 11 and 12 although Koepka missed excellent chances from inside six feet at both the 14th and 17th holes.
A precise third to three feet set up his eighth birdie of the round at the last as he matched his best finish of the season, finishing two shots clear of fellow Americans Kevin Tway and Tony Finau, who both carded 69s.
Finau made a late dash up the leaderboard when he reeled off four birdies in five holes on the back nine, but a blocked drive at the last effectively ended his hopes even before he dumped his third into water as he closed with a six.
Camilo Villegas emerged as a strong contender when he birdied five of the first six holes, but the Colombian stumbled after the turn and dropped three shots in two holes before completing a disappointing 70 which left him six off the lead.
Branden Grace, playing the final group with Chappell, managed only one birdie in a 73 as he finished alongside Villegas in a tie for 10th, while big-hitting Scot Martin Laird endured another frustrating final round after starting the day just two behind the leader.
Laird looked confident when he birdied the second, but he bogeyed three of the next four holes and laboured to a three-over 75 to close on three under par.
