WISE GETS FIRST US PGA TOUR WIN IN DALLAS
Rookie bags first Tour win with record-shattering score
DALLAS: Aaron Wise strolled up the 18th fairway in the fading twilight, lifting his hat over his head a couple of times as the thinnedout crowd cheered what would soon be his first US PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament.
The 21yearold rookie pulled away from Marc Leishman at the turn after a fourhour rain delay to start the final round at the new Trinity Forest course on Sunday. Then it was just a race to finish before nightfall so he wouldn’t have to wait at least another 12 hours to celebrate.
Wise shattered the Nelson record at 23under, shooting a sixunder 65 to beat Leishman by three strokes as both became the first to finish the Nelson at 20under or better. Leishman, who shared the thirdround lead with Wise after leading the first two days, shot 68.
The treeless linksstyle par71 layout, a few miles south of downtown Dallas, was defenceless with softer fairways and greens and no wind once the morning storms passed.
The Nelson celebrated its 50th anniversary with a return to Dallas after 35 years at the TPC Four Seasons in suburban Irving. Rory Sabbatini set the previous record on that par70 layout at 19under 261 in 2009.
“It’s everything I’ve dreamed of,” said Wise, who won once each on the Web.com and Canadian Tours.
“I felt like when it rained today I was really going to tear the course up just because it allowed me to hit driver, which is my strength. I got a lot of short irons in my hand and was able to make a lot of birdies.”
Branden Grace matched his careerbest 62 from last year’s British Open – which was the lowest round ever in a Major – and finished at 19under with J.J. Spaun and Keith Mitchell, who had matching 63s. Hometown star Jordan Spieth again couldn’t improve on his best Nelson finish from his first start as a 16yearold amateur in 2010. The threetime Major winner, and highestranked player in the field at No. 3, shot 67 to finish at 11under. Spieth tied for 21st.
Instead, Spieth has been joined by another 21andunder winner, with Wise cruising a month shy of his 22nd birthday and two weeks after the 2016 NCAA individual champion at Oregon tied for second at the Wells Fargo Championship, two shots behind Jason Day.
Spieth doesn’t have a top10 finish in eight Nelson appearances, the most of any tournament for him.
Adam Scott shot 65 to finish tied for ninth at 15under but was projected to finish just outside the top 60 needed to avoid sectional qualifying for the US Open. The 2013 US Masters champion hasn’t missed a Major since 2001.