Dominant Bowditch takes Texas crown

01 June 2015 12:17

Steven Bowditch sealed his second PGA Tour title in style on Sunday with a final-round 64 for a four-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas.

The Australian carded seven birdies - 27 for the week - to finish 18 under and become the seventh player to lead after all four days of the event.

Charley Hoffman (65), Jimmy Walker (66) and Scott Pinckney (66) tied for second at 14 under, with Zach Johnson (63) a further shot back in fifth place.

Home favourite Jordan Spieth finished 11 strokes off the pace, the Masters champion rounding off his weekend with a level-par 69.

Bowditch, heading into the final round with a two-shot cushion, had an unspectacular front nine but surged clear with four back-nine birdies at the TPC Four Seasons - the venue for his wedding back in 2011.

"This is a very special place for me," he said at his press conference afterwards, quoted on www.pgatour.com. "Amanda and I got married here at TPC so this is unbelievable to be sitting up here late Sunday afternoon talking to you guys.

"It's a pretty surreal feeling and one I guess I thought about occasionally but didn't quite think it would happen - or especially come this quick."

Asked if he had changed something in his game heading into the event, he joked: "No - I just ran out of money!"

He added: "It's the way my career has been my whole life. I guess when it's good it's good and when it's not I'm just trying to hang on and make some cuts and get better and better.

"It's the game of golf. I'm obviously not at the superstar level. I just go out there and do my best and hopefully every now and again I get a chance to win."

Bowditch, whose maiden Tour triumph came in San Antonio last March, found himself one over for the day after posting his second - and final - bogey of the day at the par-three fifth, but hit the turn one under courtesy of birdies on six and eight.

The 31-year-old's advantage was briefly cut to two when Hoffman went on a run of five birdies on seven holes on his back nine and Walker chipped in for eagle at the par-five 16, but Bowditch picked up a shot there himself to re-establish his three-shot cushion and then added another birdie on 17 for good measure.

Source: PA