Surprise victory
IRVING, Texas — Steven Bowditch certainly has a Texas trend going in his career. The Australian will stop short of calling it a Tour trend.
“I’m obviously not at the superstar level,” Bowditch said, trying to explain how he went from eight missed cuts this season and a disqualification a week earlier at Colonial to winning the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday. “I just go out there and do my best and hopefully every now and then I get a chance to win.”
Bowditch rode his best birdie binge on the PGA Tour to a 5-under 64 and a four-shot victory in the Nelson, making him two-for-Texas in career titles after winning the Texas Open in San Antonio last year.
A Dallas-area resident for 10 years, Bowditch had 27 birdies while becoming the seventh player to lead all four rounds of the event. Playing next to the resort hotel where he got married, the 31-year-old Bowditch finished at 18-under 259 on the rain-altered TPC Four Seasons layout.
Holding the large trophy, he posed for photos on the 18th green — just as he and his wife, Amanda, did four years ago.
“It’s definitely the second best time I’ve had on that green — since we got married,” Bowditch said in the interview room while his wife watched from the back.
Charley Hoffman (65), Texan Jimmy Walker (66) and Scott Pinckney (66) tied for second at 14 under. Zach Johnson shot a 63 to finish alone in fifth at 13 under.
Hometown favorite and Masters champion Jordan Spieth stayed at 7 under after an even-par 69.
Playing with Bowditch in the final group, Dustin Johnson briefly overtook him early in the round before making an 8 at the par-4 sixth. He finished at 11 under with a 69.
A sunny day wrapped up two otherwise soggy weeks of golf in Dallas-Fort Worth starting with Colonial. A 5-inch overnight downpour after the first round of the Nelson turned one of the toughest holes on the already-saturated course — the par-4 14th — into a pitch-and-putt par 3 of barely 100 yards for the final three rounds.
While birdies were the norm after easy wedge shots from what might normally be a drop area in front of a greenside pond, Bowditch had to save par from about 12 feet to keep a three-shot lead, pumping his right fist after the ball dropped in.
The temporary tee box was about 20 yards farther back Sunday, and tour officials believe par of under 70 was a first according to records going back to 1983. The overall par total was 277.
Up by three at the spectator-friendly 17th, Bowditch leaned like he thought his tee shot on the par 3 might go in the water to the right of the green. Instead, the ball flew over the pin and landed safety on the back, and Bowditch raised his putter as the putt rolled in to punctuate the win.
