Sergio Garcia wins AT&T Byron Nelson title at first extra hole
Monday 23 May 2016 07:12, UK
Sergio Garcia clinched his first PGA Tour title in almost four years after edging out Brooks Koepka in a play-off at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas.
Garcia fired a two-under 68 despite finding water twice on the back nine, and a par at the first extra hole was enough to secure victory after Koepka pulled his drive into the hazard and was unable to salvage a bogey.
Koepka had been in control of the tournament until he bogeyed 14 and 15 to fall over the card for the round, while home favourite Jordan Spieth endured a torrid final day and finished five strokes off the pace after a disappointing 74 littered with six bogeys.
Spieth had started the round two behind Koepka, who got off to an uncertain start as he scrambled pars at the opening two holes before a bogey at the third opened the door for the chasing pack.
The American missed a great chance for birdie from seven feet at the fifth, although he atoned at the long seventh and picked up another shot at the ninth to cap an outward 34.
Garcia, meanwhile, almost holed his approach to the opening hole and left himself a tap-in for birdie only to give the shot straight back when he tugged his tee-shot left at the next, and another shot went at the fourth as he drove into a fairway bunker and could only advance his ball 40 yards into another trap.
The Spaniard roared back into contention as he reeled off three consecutive birdies which he followed with a crucial par save from 15 feet at the eighth, but he bogeyed the 10th and looked certain to drop another at the next when his attempt to drive the green found a watery ending.
But he got up and down to save par and moved to 15 under when he birdied the 13th, although he then pulled his tricky approach to the next into another lake and did well to pitch and putt to limit the damage to a bogey.
Garcia soon found himself tied at the top of the leaderboard when he collected his sixth birdie of the day at the 16th while Koepka's lack of accuracy off the tee led to costly dropped shots at the 14th and 15th.
Garcia narrowly missed birdie chances from 12 feet on the final two greens and waited anxiously in the clubhouse for Koepka to finish, and the Ryder Cup hopeful mis-read a putt for the win from 15 feet at the last.
The pair headed back to the 18th tee and Koepka's drive on a brave line failed to make the carry over the water, while Garcia flushed his tee shot into the centre of the fairway and hit a solid second to the heart of the green to set up the par that clinched his second win in the event - 12 years after his first.
The 36-year-old also matched the late, great Seve Ballesteros for the most wins on the PGA Tour with nine, and he said: "It's awesome to be up there with Seve, it means so much.
"I won it a little bit 'a la Seve' today. I was battling. I was playing hard, chipping great, made some great putts. I played nicely this week, but I know I can play better. This is going to drop me nicely into the Ryder Cup points league, and that means a lot to me."
Matt Kuchar won the race for outright third after a 69 left him one shot shy of the play-off, while Colt Knost birdied the last two holes to complete a 65 which earned him a share of fourth with Spencer Levin (66).
But Spieth's hopes of a first win since January were scuppered by another wayward performance with his driver as he hit only four fairways out of 14, making three bogeys on each nine before raising a wry smile when he signed off with a birdie at the last to finish on 10 under par.
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