Watson rallies for Travelers title
CROMWELL, CONN. — Bubba Watson says TPC River Highlands feels like home. It certainly a comfortable place again this week.
Watson overcame a sixstroke deficit Sunday to win his third Travelers Championship title, shooting a 7-under 63 for a threestroke victory.
The left-hander became the first three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season and pulled within one of Billy Casper’s tournament record of four victories.
He finished at 17-under 263. Third-round leader Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Beau Hossler and J.B. Holmes tied for second. Casey shot 72, Cink 62, Hossler 66 and Holmes 67.
Watson also came from six back to win the 2010 event for his first tour title and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.
“I feel like this is my home course,” Watson said. “As soon as they put the schedule up, I sign up for this. I want to come back here. This means so much, not only from the golf side of it, but from the family side. My dad, it was the only time he got to see me win (in 2010).”
During the victory ceremony, Watson’s children — 6-year-old son Caleb and 3-year-old daughter Dakota — received small trophies of their own.
Watson shot a 33 on the front nine, but really got it going on the back, with five birdies. He tied Casey at 16-under par by getting up and down from the bunker for a birdie on the course’s signature 15th hole.
Still tied on the par-4 18th, Watson hit his tee shot 366 yards, then pitched inside 3 feet, giving caddie Ted Scott a big high-five before taking the lead with the putt.
Casey, who shot 65, 67 and 62 to lead the field by four shots coming into Sunday, birdied his opening hole. But he gave that back on the fifth and had backto-back bogeys on 16 and 17 to end any chance he had of catching Watson.
The Englishman has finished in the top 20 in eight of his last nine tournaments. He was second here during his first visit in 2015, came in 17th a year later and had a fifth-place finish in Cromwell a year ago.
Watson earned $1.26 million and 500 FexEx Cup points, moving him into third place in the standings.
Cink tied the best round of the week with a 62 on Sunday. The two-time Travelers Champion came out blazing, opening with three straight birdies and putting up a 29 on the front nine.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth, who was tied for the lead after the opening round, shot a 69 to finish at 4 under.
U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka shot a 65 to tie for 19th at 9 under.
McCarron claims Champions event
MADISON, WIS. — Scott McCarron won the American Family Insurance Championship on Sunday, closing with an 8-under 64 for a one-stroke victory over hometown player Jerry Kelly.
The 52-year-old McCarron birdied Nos. 14-16 and parred the final two to hold on for his first victory of the season and seventh in three years on the PGA Tour Champions. He finished at 15-under 201 at University Ridge.
Madison resident Steve Stricker, the tournament host and first-round leader, had a 65 to tie for third with 2017 champion Fred Couples (67) and Colin Montgomerie (64).
Japanese teen wins NW Arkansas title
ROGERS, ARK. — Japanese teenager Nasa Hataoka ran away with the NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title.
The 19-year-old Hataoka won by six strokes, closing with an 8-under 63 at Pinnacle Country Club for a tournament-record 21-under 192 total. She broke the mark of 18 under set last year by So Yeon Ryu.
FROM WIRE REPORTS