J.J. Spaun takes Texas Open for first PGA Tour win

SAN ANTONIO — J.J. Spaun gained his first PGA Tour occasion — and his first journey to the Masters — by firing a final-round 69 on the Valero Texas Open on Sunday.

In his 147th PGA Tour begin, Spaun survived a double-bogey begin to his spherical by recording 5 birdies with no bogeys to complete at 13 underneath at TPC San Antonio. It gave him a 2-shot margin over Matt Kuchar (69) and Matt Jones (66).

Adam Hadwin (67), Beau Hossler (72), Charles Howell III (69) and Troy Merritt (69) tied for fourth at 10 underneath.

The 31-year-old Spaun closed with 4 straight pars, and nobody might shut in on him. His earlier greatest end on tour was runner-up in 2018 on the RSM Basic.

Jones missed a 3-foot par putt on the sixteenth, birdied the seventeenth and missed a 14-foot birdie putt on the ultimate gap.

Kuchar wanted a birdie on the ultimate gap and Spaun to make bogey to pressure a playoff. Spaun discovered hassle off the tee within the left tough, however Kuchar’s second shot went into the water. Spaun reached the inexperienced of the par-5 ending gap in three and his ultimate putt was lower than two toes.

It was a missed alternative to get again to the Masters for Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker, who shared the lead after the primary two holes Sunday. Between them, they’ve 26 Masters appearances, seven top-10s and every has a top-3 end.

Snedeker completed tied for 18th after a 75.

Spaun’s double-bogey final-round begin earlier than getting the victory is so uncommon that the final time it occurred on tour got here in 2008, when Tiger Woods gained the U.S. Open (and Woods wanted a playoff the next day).

Spaun took the lead with a birdie after nailing his strategy into the eleventh to 3 toes away. Jones’ birdie on the seventeenth reduce it to 1, however Spaun answered with a birdie on the par-5 14th after getting virtually pin excessive within the greenside bunker. He hit to 9 toes and made the putt to return to 2 pictures forward.

Spaun nursed the lead, making a 6-footer for par at 15, chipping to five toes away and making the par putt on the sixteenth and on 17, knocking in par from 4 toes.

Spaun’s double bogey firstly got here when his strategy missed a lot it settled left of the bunker located left of the inexperienced. His chip rolled towards the again of the inexperienced and he three-putted. He additionally double-bogeyed the ninth on Saturday. But he birdied the powerful ninth on Sunday, one among 5 on the day.

Keegan Bradley, who shot a final-round 66, completed in a tie for eighth at 9 underneath with Matthias Schwab (68), Gary Woodland (70) and third-round co-leader Dylan Frittelli (73).

Frittelli’s possibilities began to slide after he walked to the ninth tee following a birdie on the eighth. His tee shot ran down a cart path straight into cactus. Frittelli pulled the ball away from the spines and took an unplayable and managed bogey to fall 2 pictures again.