Watson charges past Casey to win Travelers title

TWO-TIME MASTERS champion Bobby Watson fired a seven-under 63 yesterday to chase down Britain's Paul Casey and win the US PGA Travelers Championship by three strokes.

The 39-year-old American took his 12th career US PGA title and third Travelers crown, having also won at the Cromwell, Connecticut, layout in 2010 and 2015.

Watson also become the first three-time US PGA winner this year after having taken titles at Riviera in February and the WGC Match-Play Championship in March.

Watson dropped his approach 2 1/2 feet from the cup at 18 then sank the putt for his eighth birdie of the day against a lone bogey to finish 72 holes on 17-under 263.

"That shot on 18, downwind, it was a difficult shot," Watson said. "I did everything I could to make it stop and somehow it worked out."

Watson, who fired the lowest last round by any US PGA winner this season, rallied from six strokes down when the day began just as he had done in the event in 2010 to win his first US PGA title.

"It's absolutely amazing," Watson said. "You can't really put it into words. To do this in front of this huge crowd is wonderful."

Casey, who matched the lowest round of his career with a 62 on Saturday to start the day with a four-shot lead, fired a 72 to stumble into a four-way share of second on 266 with Americans J.B. Holmes, Beau Hossler and Stewart Cink.

"Incredibly frustrating," Casey said. "There was a lot of fight in there but I fought my golf swing all day.

"You've got to give credit to Bubba -- 63 is a great score. But I'll go away and analyse this and see what I can improve."

At the 13th hole, Casey's tee shot went into water right of the fairway and moments later, Watson sank an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-4 15th – his fifth birdie in seven holes – to match Casey for the lead at 16-under.

Casey recovered by sinking a 10-foot par putt to stay level for the lead with Watson, who missed birdie putts from beyond 20 feet at 16 and 17 but at 18, Watson's tap-in birdie gave him the lead alone for good.

Casey, who made two birdies and an eagle at the 15th earlier in the week, found a fairway bunker and settled for par yesterday then missed a four-foot par putt and took a bogey at the par-3 16th.

He found the water off the 17th tee on his way to another bogey that ended his title hopes. – AFP