Watson storms to third Conn. crown
THE TRAVELERS
CROMWELL, Conn. — Bubba Watson had one eye on the leaderboard and the other on the approaching weather as he staged his improbable come-from-behind victory in the Travelers Championship yesterday at TPC River Highlands.
Watson shot 7-under-par 63 with five birdies on the back nine to finish 17-under for the tourney. After beginning the event with an evenpar 70 on Thursday, Watson took his only lead with a birdie on the final hole.
Watson captured his third Travelers trophy, joining his wins in 2010 and 2015. Watson captured his Tour-best third title of the season and 12th overall. Stewart Cink, Beau Hossler, J.B. Holmes and third-round leader Paul Casey finished tied for second at 14-under.
“When I started making putts and I chipped in on 10 and I made a nice little putt on 13 and that’s when the weather signs went up,” said Watson. “When the weather signs go up it means the storm is coming and the winds are going to change and make it tougher.
“I fist-pumped at 15 because that’s when I thought I had a shot at it. I knew the wind started picking up and I had three tough holes and they had more holes.”
Watson began the day 6 strokes behind Casey, who positioned himself atop the leaderboard with an 8-under 62 on Saturday. Casey opened with a birdie yesterday and then basically flatlined the remainder of the round. Casey made a bogey on No. 5 and made the turn even. Casey parred the first six holes of the back nine.
Watson began his blitz through the back nine with a birdie on 10, a tree-lined 462yard par-4. Watson made inroads on Casey’s lead with follow-up birdies on 12 and 13. After a par on 14, Watson tied Casey at 16-under with a birdie on 15.
Shortly after Watson celebrated his eighth birdie of the round on 18, Casey surrendered the lead by overshooting a makeable 4-foot par putt on 16 for bogey. Casey fell 2 strokes behind with two holes remaining, and completed his implosion with a bogey on 17.
“Obviously I’ll go away, analyze this, look at it and see what I can do better in the future,” said Casey. “I was fighting all day and I didn’t have my swing.
“I battled as hard as I could but to make only one birdie all day is not good enough. All credit to Bubba, 63 is a great round of golf in what I felt were very tricky conditions.”
Cink, a two-time champion, enjoyed the day’s low score with an 8-under 62. Cink began the round at 5-under and quickly went to work, making birdies on six of his first seven holes to get to 11-under through nine. He added another birdie on 10, but a bogey on 11 slowed him down a bit.
Cink added birdies on 13 and 15, bogeyed 16 and closed the impressive round with a birdie on 18.
“I drove it well and putted well for the most part and really everything kind of came together and it all clicked at once,” said Cink. “To finish that way with a birdie putt on 18 was a sweet feeling.”