WASHINGTON — Spanish star Sergio Garcia secured his first PGA Tour win since 2012 Sunday after holding his nerve in a playoff to win the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.
The world No. 15 edged out Brooks Koepka on the first hole of a playoff at the TPC Four Seasons in Irving to claim the ninth US PGA win of his career.
The 36-year-old’s ninth victory saw him draw level with late great Seve Ballesteros for the most wins on the PGA Tour by a Spanish player.
“It’s awesome to be up there with Seve, it means so much,” said Garcia, who said his gutsy round had been in the spirit of his revered countryman, who died in 2011.
The win puts Garcia firmly on track to make the European team for this year’s Ryder Cup.
Koepka was left ruing a late collapse on the back nine that saw him give up a three-shot lead to go into a playoff with Garcia, where his game swiftly unraveled.
Garcia had been put in the driving seat on the first extra hole, the 429-yard par-four 18th, when Koepka smacked his tee-shot into the water hazard, forcing a drop.
It got worse for Koepka when his third shot landed way short of the green. With Garcia comfortably reaching the green in two, it meant Koepka was left needing to chip in from the fairway to save par.
That miraculous task was beyond him, and Garcia two-putted to claim a confidence-boosting victory.
Garcia and Koepka advanced to the playoff after a nervy finale which saw both men drop shots on the back nine.
Garcia carded a two-under-par 68 to finish with a 15 under total of 265. Koepka joined the Spaniard on 15-under after a one-over 71.
Garcia’s round included six birdies and four bogeys while Koepka carded three bogeys and two birdies.
Elsewhere, world No. 2 Jordan Spieth’s recent travails continued with a four-over final round 74 that left him five off the pace.
Ariya Jutanugarn wins again
Ariya Jutanugarn posted a second successive LPGA victory when she edged Australian Su Oh by one stroke at the Kingsmill Championship in Virginia Sunday.
Jutanugarn had blown a series of good winning chances until she broke through and claimed the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic in Alabama two weeks ago becoming the first Thai player to win on tour.
Bristling with confidence she followed up with an encore victory on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg.
Jutanugarn sank a four-foot putt at the 17th to preserve her tenuous lead and then had to sweat over a five-foot par putt at the last to avoid a playoff.
She coaxed it home to card 67 and finished at 14-under 270, while Oh (65) birdied the last with a 20-foot putt from off the back off the green to claim second place on 13-under, a day before her 20th birthday.
Jutanugarn, 20, continued the LPGA youth movement. All 13 tournaments this year have been won by players aged 23 or younger. — Agencies
