Show of might
DeChambeau edges Westwood, wins Arnold Palmer Invitational
Bryson DeChambeau gathered the crowds with his long drives, while using his putter to seal a one-shot victory on Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.
The American star made a fivefoot par putt at 18 to win it, finishing at 11-under-par 277 in front of a limited crowd at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, just one shot ahead of England’s Lee Westwood.
Canada’s Corey Conners finished alone in third place on 280.
DeChambeau’s one-under 71 in the final round matched the low round of the day with Andrew Putnam and England’s Matt Wallace. They were the only three in the field to break par during a sunny but windy final round.
The victory was DeChambeau’s first since a dominating run to the US Open title in September. And it was inspired by a text from Tiger Woods before the final round began.
“I got a text from Tiger this morning and he had obviously done really well here and was very instrumental in Mr Palmer’s life as Mr Palmer was to Tiger,” DeChambeau said, referencing the eight Arnold Palmer Invitational titles won by Woods, who was involved in a serious car crash on Feb 23.
“We just talked about keep fighting no matter what happens and play boldly like Mr Palmer said.”
While low scores were hard to come by, the conditions did allow for DeChambeau to take a gamble with his tee shot at the sixth hole for the second consecutive day.
Instead of following the fairway along a lake on the par-five hole, DeChambeau took a short cut over the water with a breeze mostly in his favour.
His 376-yard drive found a bunker 88 yards from the pin, changing the dynamics of what is regularly a 565yard hole. His second shot missed the green, but he scrambled for a birdie four to reach 11 under and found
himself alone in the lead when Westwood bogeyed the seventh hole.
Westwood tied DeChambeau again
at 11 under with a birdie at No.12, but fell out of the top spot with a three-putt bogey at No.14.
DeChambeau made a 37-foot putt for a birdie at No.4, a 49-foot putt for par at No.11 and a knee-knocking fourfoot par putt at 17 with the pressure on after he blasted his birdie putt past the hole.
On the par-four 18th hole, DeChambeau hit his drive to the centre of the fairway, hit his approach shot to the centre of the green and again putted past the hole. He then drained another pressure-packed putt, this one from five feet to earn the victory.
“It’s beyond my wildest dreams [to win] Mr Palmer’s event,” DeChambeau said.
“I came here as an amateur, he gave me an invitation and I loved this golf course the minute I arrived and I love the atmosphere and I love the fans. I loved what Mr Palmer did with this place and what he’s done and his legacy he’s left here. It’s quite amazing.”
The 47-year-old Westwood was unable to gain any momentum, shooting a one-over 73 on Sunday after taking a one-shot lead through three rounds.
“I thought we had a really good battle,” Westwood said about playing the final round with DeChambeau.
“It was never really more than [a one shot difference] all day and there were tough conditions out there and it wasn’t going to be a day where... anybody was going to shoot 68 or 67. It was a day for playing sensible and hanging on and grinding out the pars.”
Meanwhile, eight-time PGA Tour winner Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from this week’s Players Championship due to a knee injury, his manager Blake Smith said.
Kopeka will be replaced in the 154-player field at the Players Championship by Anirban Lahiri of India.
LEADING FINAL ROUND SCORES (par-72, USA unless noted)
277 — Bryson DeChambeau 67-71-68-71
278 —Lee Westwood (ENG) 69-71-65-73
280 — Corey Conners (CAN) 66-69-71-74
282 — Andrew Putnam 70-72-69-71, Richy Werenski 71-69-69-73, Jordan Spieth 70-69-68-75