Watson overhauls faltering Casey to win Travelers title

Bubba Watson stormed back from six strokes behind in the final round to overhaul Englishman Paul Casey and win the Travelers Championship by three strokes in Cromwell, Connecticut on Sunday.

Watson carded a seven-under-par 63, capping a dominant performance with a three-foot birdie at the final hole at TPC River Highlands after almost sinking his wedge approach shot.

The American finished at 17-under 263 to become the first three-times winner on the PGA Tour this year.

"It's been an amazing ride, my whole career, but this year has been outstanding," Watson told reporters after securing his 12th PGA Tour title.

He previously won in February at Riviera in Los Angeles, also for the third time, and in March at the World Golf Championships-Match Play in Austin, Texas.

Casey started the day with a four-shot cushion over his closest rival, American Russell Henley, but a birdie at the first hole was the Englishman's only one the entire day as his swing deserted him.

He carded 72 to tie for second at 14-under with Americans J.B. Holmes (67), Stewart Cink (62) and Beau Hossler (66). Henley finished a further shot back in a tie for sixth.

Watson took a while to reel in Casey, finally doing so with a 10-foot birdie at the 15th hole.

"That's when I think I tied him at 16-under, so that's when I really started thinking, OK, we can win this thing," said Watson, who also beat Casey in the same event in 2015 via a playoff.

Sunday's performance all but ensures Watson a spot on the United States team for the Ryder Cup against Europe in Paris in September. He failed to make the victorious 2016 team.

"I didn't think it was possible to get 10 wins. Then I get 10 wins and now I've got two more," he said.

"Now I just need one more in Augusta and that would be great."

Casey described his day as "terribly frustrating" after posting his eighth career runner-up finish on the PGA Tour, to go with two victories.

He hit some poor drives, not least at the par-five 13th, which leaked right into a hazard, but his putter saved him for most of the day, until the 16th, where his missed a four-footer.

"I fought my golf swing all day, as you could see coming down the last couple of holes," he said.

"You've got to give credit to Bubba but I'll go away and analyse this and see what we can do better in future."

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; editing by Ken Ferris/Peter Rutherford)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bubba back in business with one-shot lead in Los Angeles

Bubba Watson, back in business with a new ball on a course where he has won twice before, took the third-round lead at the Genesis Open on Saturday as a large pack queued up close behind.

Watson, whose nine PGA Tour victories include two Masters titles, charged to the front with a six-under-par 65 at storied Riviera in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades.

He posted a 10-under 203 total, one shot ahead of fellow American Patrick Cantlay (69), who curled a 55-foot birdie putt into the middle of the hole at the par-four 18th.

Four others are two behind -- Americans Kevin Na and Tony Finau, Australia Cameron Smith and halfway leader Graeme McDowell.

Watson, whose wife was a professional basketballer, played in the NBA All-Star weekend celebrity game in Los Angeles on Friday.

Back at home on grass instead of hardwood, he started his third round in style with a tap-in eagle at the par-five first, but acknowledged it was a tough slog the rest of the way.

"It was a grind full time," said the 39-year-old, who won at Riviera in 2014 and 2016. "It was easy when you have a tap in. Then I just hung on the rest of the time."

Watson has slipped to 117th in the world rankings after an ill-fated experiment in 2017 with a different brand of ball.

He has not exactly set the world on fire in three previous starts this year but hopes to stay on an emotional even keel in the final round.

"You've got to know that this golf course is going to make you mess up, the grass, the way the ball bounces on it, you're going to have shots you think are perfect and ended up not perfect," he said.

"But it's golf, not just this week but every week. You're going to know you're going to make a mistake, especially on a Sunday, and you've got to keep fighting and hopefully your fight is better than everybody else's fight." (Reporting by Andrew Both in Adelaide, South Australia; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Rio Olympics: Golfer Tabuena fires 2-over 73 in 1st round

Filipino golfer Miguel Tabuena is in joint 42nd place after shooting a 2-over par 73 in the first round of the competition at the Olympic Golf Course in Brazil on Thursday.

He joined seven other golfers who include world No. 6 Bubba Watson after four bogeys in the back nine, according to a report from Spin.

Tabuena was off to a good start with a 2-under card after the front nine, but the winds made it tough for the Filipino golfer, who missed the green on his third shot at the par-5 10th leading to his first bogey of the round.

Tabuena also had bogeys in the 13th, 16th, and 18th.

Meanwhile, Marcus Fraser of Australia ran off four straight birdies to finish with an 8-under 63, which set an Olympic record.

Fraser enjoys a three-shot lead over Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.

Tabuena plans to bounce back on the second round, which tees off Friday night (Philippine time).

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Fil-Australian Day wins Canadian Open

OAKVILLE, Ontario - Jason Day spoiled Canadian hopes of a first home-grown winner in 61 years at the Canadian Open with a one-stroke victory on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Australian birdied the last three holes at Glen Abbey to triumph by one over American Bubba Watson and by two over Canadian David Hearn, the 54-hole leader.

Day ended the tournament in style by rolling in a clutch 22-foot putt at the par-five 18th for a closing four-under-par 68 and a winning total of 17-under 271.

It was his second PGA Tour win of the season, the fourth of his career and followed up a strong tie for fourth at last week's British Open.

Watson and Hearn, playing in the final pairing, shot 69 and 72, respectively. Hearn held a one-stroke lead standing on the 16th tee but Day and Watson, who made birdie on five of his six closing holes, both charged past him with blazing finishes.

Last Monday, Day's birdie try on the 72nd hole at St. Andrews came up short and left him one shot shy of a British Open playoff won by Zach Johnson.

"To come off what happened last week and to be able to get the putt to the hole this time and come out as a winner, it just feels fantastic," said Day, who let out a yell and fist-pumped as his last putt dropped.

Watson appeared to be out of the mix after a bogey at the 10th, before his birdie spree. Day was playing in the group in front of Hearn and Watson, and had to watch Watson's short chip attempt for eagle slide by at 18 to know he had won.

"I've been putting in a lot of work, not only with my golf game, but with my body as well," Day said. "Mentally, I feel like I was in the right spot coming into this week and I played fantastic."

Hearn, vying to become the first Canadian winner at this event since Pat Fletcher in 1954, opened with back-to-back birdies, but stalled on the back nine.

"I'm real proud of the way I played and I'm really proud to be Canadian today," Hearn said. "It was a pretty special day with all of the fans and the support that I had from beginning to finish."

(Reporting by Tim Wharnsby; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes and Larry Fine)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com