American Chris Kirk coolly got up and down from off the green at the 18th hole to salvage par and clinch his fourth PGA Tour title by one shot on Sunday at the US$6.5 million Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.
After watching playing partner Brandt Snedeker narrowly miss a 12-footer for birdie at the last, Kirk sank a clutch seven-foot par putt to seal victory with a closing four-under 66 at a rain-saturated Colonial Country Club.
That left Kirk at 12-under 268 after an intriguing last-day shootout at Colonial where five players held at least a share of the lead in the final round.
Photo: AFP
“Unbelievable, to be a part of the history of this tournament is just amazing to me,” Kirk told CBS Sports after adding his name to a list of winners at Colonial where golfing great and Fort Worth resident Ben Hogan triumphed five times.
Snedeker signed off with a 67 to share second place at 11-under with fellow Americans Jason Bohn, who fired a best-of-the-day 63, and US Masters champion Jordan Spieth (65).
“Very disappointed,” Snedeker said. “I played great and just didn’t make putts on the last three holes like you are supposed to to win golf tournaments.”
American Kevin Na, who had been a stroke in front overnight, briefly stretched his lead to three with a birdie-birdie start, but his title bid unraveled when he followed a bogey at the third with a double at the ninth.
Na finished with a 72 to share 10th place at nine-under.
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