Eagle propels Aussie
Australian Marc Leishman holed a 50-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole Sunday to take the lead, and he stayed there with two tough pars at the end to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational and earn a trip to the Masters.
In a final hour that featured four players having at least a share of the lead, Leishman is the only one who didn’t blink.
His final act was a pitchand-run from 45 yards away on the closing hole at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla., that ran out to 3 feet. He calmly made the par putt for a 3-under 69, 11 under 277 total, and one-shot victory over Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman.
The only thing missing was a handshake from the King. This was the first Arnold Palmer Invitational since the September death of the beloved tournament host.
“You see guys win and he’s waiting there on the back of the green,” Leishman said. “And to not have that is obviously very sad, but to win here is just a dream come true.”
Kisner and Hoffman also squandered away their chances.
Kisner had a three-shot lead at the turn, but failed to made another birdie the rest of the way. His lead began slipping away when he missed the green on the par5 12th with a sand wedge, pitched over the other side of the green and took bogey. He closed with a 73.
Hoffman rallied from a 39 on the front nine to catch Kisner for the lead, only to threeputt for par on the 16th and then drop another shot from the bunker on the 17th. He made birdie on the 18th for a tie for second. Rory McIlroy had a 30-foot birdie to tie on 18 but three-putted.
Other tournaments
Tucson Conquistadores Classic: Tom Lehman took advantage of senior newcomer Steve Stricker’s late mistakes to win in Arizona for his 10th PGA Tour Champions victory. Two strokes behind Stricker with three holes to play, Lehman closed with two birdies and a par for a 7under 66 and a one-stroke victory over playing partner Stricker (70).
LPGA Founders Cup: Anna Nordqvist caught up with some college friends — and left everyone else behind on another hot afternoon in Phoenix. Nordqvist, 29, a former Arizona State player, shot a 4-under 68 to hold off fellow major champions Ariya Jutanugarn (68), Stacy Lewis (68) and In Gee Chun (66) by two strokes in record 96-degree heat. Nordqvist finished at 25-under 263, two strokes off the LPGA Tour record that Sei Young Kim matched last year at Desert Ridge.