Jimmy Walker canters to Valero Texas Open victory
Jimmy Walker breezed to the Valero Texas Open title ahead of fellow Texan, Jordan Spieth after carding a final round two-under to finish the tournament -11.
“It doesn’t happen very often – winning in your home town,” Walker said. “The course wasn’t giving as much and it was hard to make pars.
“I felt I was leaking a little bit of oil here, wasn’t putting very good and then finally smoothed out the putting stroke a little bit and got it back to where it was the past couple of days.”
Walker became the first multiple Tour winner this season, having already won the Sony Open in Hawaii, with 19 winners on this years PGA Tour in 2015.
Jordan Spieth had an excellent finish to the tournament, with 4 birdies in his last five holes to finish clear second at seven-under par.
“It actually looked like I had a chance,” said Spieth, who was seven shots back with eight to play.
“I didn’t think that would be possible. You’re never out of it in this game, but Jimmy shut that down pretty quickly with his made putts.”
“(Spieth) really made me fight hard,” Walker said. “He kept hitting it close, and I had to keep making putts.
“I’ll be having nightmares about that guy!
“Everybody says it’s hard to win at home,” Walker said, “(but) it’s hard to win any week – home, away, out of the country, it’s hard. So I feel good.”
With this win Jimmy Walker will move to number 10 and Jordan Spieth will move to fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings.
“That’s cool,” said Spieth. “But I’m not pinching myself, because there are three guys ahead.”
"It actually looked like I had a chance" Billy Horschel claimed outright third at four-under for the tournament, with Daniel Summerhays and Chesson Hadley a further shot back in a tied-fourth position.
After his Doral win a few weeks ago, Dustin Johnson struggled with the wind, eventually settling for tied-sixth position alongside Ryan Palmer.
“With the same wind the last three days it helped to figure out the course, and I played well,” Johnson said.
“I just played a couple of holes bad. Other than that, I played a lot of good golf in between and if I played those other holes better it’s a whole different tournament.”
Walker, who snapped a streak of 10 tour third-round leaders that had failed to win, will take practice rounds for the Masters at Augusta National on Monday and Tuesday.
“I like Augusta,” Walker said. “All this adds momentum and confidence. It’s what we’re constantly building toward.”
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