Monday 4 April 2016 07:33, UK
Jim Herman held off a final-round challenge from Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson to claim a maiden PGA Tour title at the Houston Open and secure entry in to next week's Masters.
The world No 191, who had never won in his previous 105 PGA Tour stars, posted a four-under 68 at the GC of Houston to finish one-shot clear of nearest challenger Stenson.
Resuming in a share of the lead alongside Jamie Lovemark, Herman got off to a positive start by birdieing two of his opening four holes before giving a shot back at the next when he fired his tee shot out of bounds.
Stenson, sitting one off the pace following a third-round 66, followed a front-nine 34 with a 12-foot gain at the next to briefly claim the outright advantage, only for Herman to move back in a share of the lead at the next.
After the pair exchanged birdies at the 13th, Stenson recovered from a missed par-save at the next to hole an 11-foot birdie at the 15th to rejoin Herman on 14 under.
Momentum swung in Herman's favour when the American posted a chip-in birdie from off the 16th green, with pars over the final two holes enough to secure a landmark victory.
"It feels like I'm a dreaming and I don't when it's all going to sink in," Herman told Sky Sports. "There are a lot of tears right now as I've put in a lot of hard work, so I'm pretty pleased."
Stenson two-putted from 20 feet at the last to match Herman's round and, with Johnson's final-round 69 leaving him a further stroke back.
A round-of-the-day 65 from Rafa Cabrera-Bello lifted the Spaniard in to fourth spot, while a birdie-filled 66 from Daniel Berger left the American tied-fifth with Russell Henley.
World No 2 Jordan Spieth, in his final round before defending his Masters title on Thursday, briefly moved within one of the lead when he sank a 45-footer on his way to birdieing five of his opening seven holes.
Spieth then bogeyed three in a four-hole stretch around the turn and found the water at the 12th, eventually closing seven strokes adrift after finding the hazard again in a double-bogey at the last.
