NEW YORK: American Jimmy Walker took advantage of a late collapse by overnight leader Brooks Koepka to win his first PGA Tour title by two shots at the Frys.com Open in San Martin, California, yesterday.
Three strokes off the pace heading into the final round, Walker coolly birdied two of the last six holes to close with a five-under-par 66 on a sun-splashed afternoon at CordeValle Golf Club.
The 34-year-old seized the outright lead for the first time when he two-putted for birdie at the par-five 15th, then made three consecutive pars to post a 17-under total of 267 in the opening event of the PGA Tour’s 2013-14 season.
“I think it will sink in after a while,” an emotional Walker told Golf Channel after earning a Masters invitation and a two-year exemption with his maiden win on the US circuit following his 188th career start.
“I am still feeling the adrenalin and everything. I feel like a relief, a release kind of, right now but it feels really good. I am pretty excited. “I was swinging good so I just kept saying, ‘Let’s just keep hitting good shots, putting good.’ Everything felt like it was in control, so I just kept doing that and it worked out.”
American Koepka, also seeking a maiden victory on the PGA Tour, briefly led by four shots on the front nine but tumbled backwards with bogeys on four of the last 10 holes on his way to a 72 and a four-way tie for third place.
Former world number one Vijay Singh, bidding for his first win in five years on the PGA Tour where he has triumphed 34 times during a Hall of Fame career, finished alone in second at 15 under after closing with a 68.
“Obviously today wasn’t the day I was expecting or anything but it’s still a good tournament,” said the 23-year-old Koepka who has triumphed four times on the lower-tier European Challenge Tour since turning professional in 2012.
“You’ve got to take the bright side and move on to next week (for the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas).” REUTERS
