Jaeger breaks PGA Tour duck

Los Angeles – Germany’s Stephan Jaeger (above) held off world No 1 Scottie Scheffler down the stretch to win his first US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Houston Open.

Jaeger took the solo lead at 12-under with his fourth birdie of the day at the ninth, then parred all nine holes on the back nine to emerge with the victory on 12-under 268.

“It feels amazing,” Jaeger said. “I couldn’t have dreamed up a better week to do it.

“Obviously playing Scottie the last couple days, he’s been on a tear, so to kind of slay the dragon a little bit this week was amazing.

“He’s such a good dude, such a good player, I was just happy to play with him for a couple days.”

Scheffler, playing in the last group with Jaeger, responded to a bogey at the demanding parthree 15th with a birdie at 16, but he missed a five-and-a-half-foot birdie putt at 18 that would have forced a play-off.

He settled for a two-under par 68 that put him in a five-way tie for second alongside Taylor Moore, Tony Finau, Belgian Thomas Detry and Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti.

Tosti was 12-under after a birdie at 16, but closed with a bogey at 18.

Jaeger, ranked 71st in the world and chasing a first tour title in his 135th start, was part of a five-way tie for the lead to start the day.

After a five-foot birdie at the third, he rolled in a 23-foot birdie putt from the fringe at the fourth to maintain a share of the lead.

After a bogey at the seventh, Jaeger made a three-foot birdie at the eighth and rolled in an eight-footer at the ninth to make the turn with the solo lead.

Jaeger barely missed a 20-foot birdie at the 12th, then drilled a 19-foot par-saving putt at the 13th. He parred 16 after his drive went left onto a cart path.

He said patience was “the name of the game” on the potentially treacherous back nine, so he was pleased to avoid bogeys.

“I really didn’t hit many bad shots,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I was playing defence at all. It’s just this game is very hard.”

Scheffler was just behind Jaeger until he missed the green at the 15th and fell two adrift but clawed back one at the 16th. –