Chappell earns first Tour victory
Third-round leader holds off charges of Koepka, Finau; Taylor the top Canadian
SAN ANTONIO— Kevin Chappell made an eight-foot putt on the final hole to win the Valero Texas Open by one stroke on Sunday.
Chappell had a 4-under 68 in the final round to finish at 12-under for the tournament, edging Brooks Koepka at TPC San Antonio to earn his first PGA Tourvictory in his180th career start.
Koepka, a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team last year, was looking for his second PGA Tour win. He had the best round of the day at 7-under 65. Before Chappell came down the 18th hole, Koepka had birdied the hole with a three-foot putt to tie him.
Second-round co-leader Tony Finau got in a position to tie Koepka when he birdied four of five holes on the back nine. But his par-bogey finish left him to settle for a final-round 69 and a third-place tie with Kevin Tway (69) at 9-under.
Australian Aaron Baddeley fired 68 to finish fourth at 8-under.
Brian Gay (70), Sung Kang (68), Ryan Palmer (71) and Cameron Smith (71) were tied for sixth at 7under, five shots behind Chappell.
Nick Taylor (74) of Abbotsford, B.C. was the top Canadian. He finished 2-under in a tie for 22nd place.
Koepka, trailing Chappell by a shot coming up the 18th, took a 3-iron out of his bag and considered taking a crack at reaching the 606-yard par-5 in two. But he had 293 yards left with a slight uphill shot into the wind with a creek fronting the green.
He put the club back in his bag and laid up to create a 90-wedge approach.
He stuck that to about three feet and made the birdie to go into the clubhouse tied with Chappell.
Chappell had almost the same distance for his approach on 18, and he landed it past the hole to set up the winning putt.
Finau closed with birdies on four of five holes coming to the 17th. He was just a shot behind Chappell’s lead, but he parred there and drove next to a cactus bush on the 18th. He punched out to the fairway, removed cactus needles from his leg, then put his approach into the creek. He took a penalty drop, and his bogey ended his chances.