Toronto Star

Spieth delivers bunker thrill to win Travelers in a playoff

- PAT EATON-ROBB THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CROMWELL, CONN.— Jordan Spieth needed an extra hole, a little bit of luck and an amazing final shot to finish off a wire-to-wire victory in the Travelers Championsh­ip.

Spiethhole­d out from 60 feet for birdie from a greenside bunker on the first hole of a playoff with Daniel Berger on Sunday at TPC River Highlands.

“That was one for the ages,” said the 23-year-old Texan, who joined Tiger Woods as the only players since 1983 with at least 10 career victories before turning 24.

Spieth held a one-stroke edge after each of the first three rounds. He closed with an even-par 70 to match Berger — who birdied three of the final six holes for a 67 — at 12-under 268.

Berger just missed a 50-foot putt from off the 18th green that would have forced a second playoff hole.

“Jordan does Jordan things,” Berger said. “So there’s not really much you can say.”

Berger tied Spieth for a lead with a five-foot birdie putt on 15 as Spieth was making bogey on14 and tied him again with a birdie from eight feet at 17.

The pair, playing a group apart, both hit their approach shots on 18 into the same greenside bunker. Both chipped out close to the hole and both saved par to force the playoff.

Berger hit his drive on the first playoff hole left and into the crowd behind a fairway bunker. Spieth seemed to clip a tree left landing in the fairway but about 150 yards short of his normal drive and 230 yards from the hole.

Spieth’s approach fell into a bunker. Berger’s ran off the green to the left.

Spieth had to back up after hitting his bunker shot to see the hole. When the ball rolled straight in the cup he threw his club and did a flying chest bump into caddy Michael Greller.

“If I was in Berger’s shoes, I’d be cursing Jordan Spieth right now for the break off the tee and then holing a 30-yard bunker shot, that’s a lot of luck,” Spieth said.

Spieth also survived a couple of big scares in the build-up to the dramatic finish. The first came when his drive on 13 went right but stuck on the side of a hill to stay out of the water. He missed a seven-foot birdie putt, but saved par.He’s the third player to go wire-to-wire alone in the lead at the Connecticu­t event. Gene Littler did it in 1959 and Tim Morris in 1982. Spieth’s only other wire-towire win was the 2015 Masters.

Sunday’s win was also his first win in a tournament debut. The last player to win in Cromwell in his first start was Phil Blackmar in 1985.

Charley Hoffman (66) and Danny Lee (67) tied for third, three strokes back.

David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for eighth at 8-under.

Mackenzie Hughes (66) of Dundas, Ont., tied for 17th at 6-under, Graham DeLaet (68) of Weyburn, Sask., was in a group at 26th at 5-under, Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (68) was 3under to tie for 43rd and Adam Hadwin (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., was at 1-under to tie for 57th.

 ?? MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES ?? Jordan Spieth celebrates with caddy Michael Greller after making birdie from a bunker to win the Travelers Championsh­ip in a playoff on Sunday.
MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES Jordan Spieth celebrates with caddy Michael Greller after making birdie from a bunker to win the Travelers Championsh­ip in a playoff on Sunday.

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