American claims first PGA Tour victory since 2014 with one-shot success
Sunday 11 November 2018 22:29, UK
Matt Kuchar ended his title drought as he survived a late wobble in the final round to win the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico.
The 40-year-old American carded a two-under 69 at El Camaleon Golf Club to keep his younger rivals at bay and complete a wire-to-wire victory.
Kuchar finished one shot clear of a battling Danny Lee on 22-under 262 to secure his eighth PGA Tour success but his first since the 2014 RBC Heritage, 1,667 days ago.
Coincidentally that last win came on April 20, 2014, the same day as Lee Westwood had claimed his previous European Tour victory before his Nedbank Golf Challenge triumph earlier on Sunday.
Kuchar had shared the lead after a first-round 64 but he moved two clear by repeating that score in the second round and a 65 on Saturday enabled him to take a four-shot cushion into the final round in Playa del Carmen.
Birdies at the third and fifth kept him comfortably ahead but his rivals may have glimpsed a chance when he made five straight pars from the sixth.
However, the world No 40 knocked in a putt from off the green for a birdie at the 11th to reassert his authority and he followed that with a routine birdie at the par-five 13th to open up a three-shot advantage.
New Zealander Lee, playing just ahead, had now emerged as Kuchar's main challenger after making his sixth birdie of the day at the 13th, but he spurned a chance to apply further pressure with a bogey at the 15th, moments after Kuchar had made his first mistake by missing a five-foot par putt at the 14th.
Kuchar now appeared to be placing pressure on himself, though, as he pushed a short putt right to drop another shot at the 15th and his lead was suddenly down to one when Lee birdied the 16th by rolling in a 25-footer.
Kuchar almost replied with a birdie of his own at 16 when his 12-footer was just a whisker short, and he missed from a similar length as he raced another birdie putt past the hole at 17.
Up ahead, Lee was off-target from 20 feet for a crucial birdie at the 18th as he recorded a six-under 65 and Kuchar held his nerve to par the last and finally return to the winners' enclosure.
"It was tough," said Kuchar, whose 22-under total was a new tournament record. "I certainly didn't want to have a three-footer on the last hole to win this thing. I was hoping to have a three or four-shot lead and then some wiggle room, but that felt awfully good.
"I was hitting it beautifully. I felt really good. It was just a matter of having some putts go in and golf's such a funny game. It's hard to predict when it's going to come around. Normally I tend to gradually grow bit by bit and have a couple of top 10s and then contend. But to have a 57th-place finish [last week] and then a win is pretty amazing.
"My 2018 wasn't what I wanted, but this is certainly a high note."
American JJ Spaun (66) had six birdies over the first 13 holes to get to 20 under but he failed to make any further progress and a bogey at the 18th left him in a share of third with compatriot Richy Werenski (67).
Brice Garnett (66) finished fifth on 18 under, one ahead of Scott Piercy, whose 62 matched the best round of the week, Harold Varner III (65), Pat Perez (67) and Jim Furyk, who hit some pinpoint iron shots in his 67.
Cameron Champ was 20 under through 13 holes but he then dropped five shots over the next four holes before birdieing the last for a 69.
He was among a group of five players on 16 under which also included South Korea's Whee Kim, whose challenge faded with a level-par 71.
Ryder Cup team-mates Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau both finished in a tie for 16th on 14 under after closing with rounds of 67 and 69 respectively.
