Valspar Championship: Paul Casey retains title with thrilling win in Florida
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Valspar Championship final leaderboard |
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-8: P Casey (Eng); -7: J Kokrak (US), L Oosthuizen (SA); -6: B Watson (US), S Im (Kor); -5: J Rahm (Spa), D Johnson (US), R Armour (US) |
Selected others: -4: L Donald (Eng); -1: H Stenson (Swe), R Knox (Sco); +2: D Willett (Eng) |
Paul Casey became the first man to retain the Valspar Championship after an enthralling final day in Florida.
Casey, 41, led by one overnight but dropped three shots on the opening nine as a pack of players applied pressure.
The Englishman was level with Jason Kokrak at eight under on the 18th but the American made bogey, meaning Casey needed a par four at the last to win.
He found a bunker off the tee but hit the green from there and two-putted for a first win since last year's victory.
"It feels cool," said Casey, who made bogey on 17 to fall back to eight under alongside Kokrak. "It was messy but this course was so difficult and I did make errors. Looking at 72 holes, it was hard work."
Casey's win means European golfers have won the past three PGA Tour events, following Rory McIlroy's victory at the Players Championship and Francesco Molinari's success at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The Briton was one clear of world number one Dustin Johnson going into the final round but his American playing partner started poorly, dropping shots on the third and fourth holes in what proved a three-over par round containing no birdies.
Instead, pressure came from South African Louis Oosthuizen, who shot a round of two under to take the clubhouse lead on seven under.
Oosthuizen finished his round moments before Casey and watched on a greenside monitor. Had Casey not made par on 18, a three-way play-off would have followed but the Briton's smart shot from the sand and excellent putt left him a tap in for victory.
Casey, who was one over for his final round, added: "In my mind, it was like I was against the world number one - so beat him and I've got it. It turned out to be a very different scenario and I feel so good right now."
He had waited more than three years for a victory before edging out Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed to take last year's title by a single shot and now has three PGA Tour wins.
Donald thrilled to feel pressure again
England's former world number one Luke Donald declared himself "delighted" as he finished tied for ninth on four under, four shots off the pace.
Donald has made only 10 starts in two seasons because of a back complaint and has not won on the PGA or European Tour since 2012.
He was within three shots of the overnight lead, having been bogey-free through the first three rounds.
But after making eagle on the opening hole to raise hope, he made bogey on holes two and five, before making double-bogey on holes seven and 11 - ending with a two-over-par 73 for the day.
"I'm really delighted," said Donald. "It could have gone a bit better today but there were positives. It was a little rust and pressure I hadn't felt in a long time. It's a tough game and it takes time to get back into that groove."
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Great to see Luke Donald back & competitive. But for a handful of missed short putts, it could have been even better.
It's no coincidence that recently, on the PGA Tour's toughest courses where wayward shots get punished, European players are excelling.
More of these demanding courses please!
DJ played awful,not good with the masters coming up.
Whisky and chips..what a bitter little troll you are,hopefully you won’t post anymore so we don’t have to read your rubbish anymore
If it was Speith Day Holmes etc it would have extended TV coverage by 30 mins...
I have a simple question for all pro golfers
How is it possible for 3 of the top 250 golfers on the planet who have apparox 70 shots per round to take more than 4 1/2 to play 18 ..come guys sort it out!
And very well done to Luke Donald too. Just goes to show that form is temporary but class is permanent.
Not sure why the author thinks he was bogey free for the first 3 rounds though?!!!
Expect him to win more this year now, must always have a decent chance when he's driving so well.
It's not just the position on the calendar that keeps players away from certain tournaments. Some just don't want to be tested so they stick to easy course setups.
For example Phil Mickelson has stated openly that he will avoid courses that demand accuracy over distance. As such, outside of majors, he will only play if he can get away with driving it 50+ yards offline.
Always good to read your ramblings - never fail to make me chortle.
Keep up the good work!
good to see Oosthuizen in the mix too....could be a sneaky chance at augusta....surely one of the best swings in the game...
2 hours ago
26: If you've no interest in golf, why make a comment here?
.......
Or why even open the golf pages in the first place??
Keep it going up to the Masters and the rest of the season.
3 hours ago
@ACADAC
Eddie Pepperell win a major? Seriously delete your account, he has no chance at all.
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Why does he have no chance at all? Did you think Willet, Hamilton, Curtis, Beem, Lawrie, to name just a few, were going to ever win a major?
It has been a profitable few weeks for our English golfers in America, with youngsters such as Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood and Wallace showing up well in addition to strong performances from our established stars Rose and Casey.
I do believe there is every chance one of the above can be victorious in a major this year.