American Brendan Steele held his nerve with an error-free back nine for a one-shot victory over compatriots Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman and his maiden PGA Tour title at the Texas Open.
Steele, a 28-year-old rookie who had not played a single round on the PGA Tour until this season, began the day with a one-shot lead and made it hold up during another wind-whipped afternoon at the TPC San Antonio carding a final round 1-under-par 71.
Defending champion Adam Scott, along with fellow Australians Geoff Ogilvy, John Senden and Nathan Green were all tied for 23rd place at even par.
After a birdie at the second followed by his only bogey of the round at the fifth and another birdie at seven, Steele reeled off 11 consecutive pars to finish with a winning total of 8-under 280.
Chappell had mounted an early charge dropping his third birdie of the day at the 10th to join Steele atop the leaderboard setting the stage for a back nine shootout.
But the two PGA Tour rookies, playing together in the last threesome, would match each other par-for-par until Chappell blinked with a bogey at the 17th and settled for a 2-under 70 to finish joint second with Hoffman who closed with a 68.
Brandt Snedeker battled his way to a 71 to sit alone in fourth two back of the leader on 6-under 282, while Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson (69) and Americans Pat Perez (71) and Cameron Tringale (73) finished one shot further adrift at 283.
- Reuters
First posted April 18, 2011 08:27:00
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