Monday 30 March 2015 11:41, UK
Jimmy Walker fired a final-round 70 to complete a convincing four stroke win on home soil at the Valero Texas Open.
Beginning the last day at TPC San Antonio four strokes clear, Walker carded a 70 to see off a late birdie blitz from Jordan Spieth and become the first two-time PGA Tour winner of the season.
Walker, who stormed to a nine-shot win at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, was never seriously threatened during the final round despite only reaching the turn in par and missing an eight-foot par putt at the 12th.
The 36-year-old posted five birdies during his two-under final round, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick of gains to finish after seeing a 10-foot putt at the last roll just wide of the cup.
"It doesn't happen very often - winning in your home town," Walker said. "The course wasn't giving as much and it was hard to make pars.
"I felt I was leaking a little bit of oil here, wasn't putting very good and then finally smoothed out the putting stroke a little bit and got it back to where it was the past couple of days.
"All this keeps adding momentum and confidence, that's what we're out here to do."
By winning in his home town, Walker also becomes the first player in ten PGA Tour tournaments to turn their 54-hole lead in to a victory.
As the world No 13’s closest challenger, Spieth got off to a great start with a tap-in birdie at the first but drifted down the leaderboard after posting three bogeys in a disappointing front nine 37, dropping another stroke by two-putting from 10 feet at the 10th.
With hopes of victory diminished, the world No 6 followed up a monster 45-foot gain at the 14th with a 10-foot birdie at the next to move back within four of the lead, picking up a third shot in a row at the par three 16th after watching Walker sink a birdie of his own.
The pair exchanged birdies at the 17th, with Spieth making an eight-foot par putt at the last to end two-under.
Despite two-putting the last from four feet, FedEx Cup Champion Billy Horschel rounded off the weekend with a one-under 71 to end third and post his best finish of the year so far.
Dustin Johnson opened with back-to-back birdies, finishing his round the same way to produce a second successive 68 of the weekend to end tied-fourth with Ryan Palmer. After reaching the turn in 33, Palmer dropped strokes on successive holes in his 68 before finishing strongly with three late birdies to end four-under.
Chesson Hadley bounced back from a double-bogey at the par-four fourth to post four gains in a final round 71 to share fourth with compatriot Daniel Summerhays, who ended positively by picking up four shots from his last four holes.
