Weekend winners: Wood secures PGA win & Spieth conquers Colonial
The Bristolian secured the biggest win of his career on Sunday after shooting an impressive 69, despite a late bogey run, to secure the BMW PGA Championship trophy by one shot.
Victory on Sunday means Wood will shoot up into the top 25 in the rankings and now into Ryder Cup contention with a big summer of golf ahead.
Rikard Karlberg carded a 65 earlier on in the day, which included a hole-in-one, but his efforts came up just short and Wood settled for par on the last to take the crown.
Chris Wood is your #BMWPGA champion! ⛳️?? pic.twitter.com/WasRPWsP0h
— National Club Golfer (@NCGmagazine) May 29, 2016
Masters champion Danny Willett fell away in the final round, as did the rest of the leading pack, with the 28-year-old finishing on 7-under two shots off Wood at 9-under.
What Wood said: “It is the biggest win of my career, I have always wanted to win the tournament and to win with my family here is amazing.
“I have worked really hard with my former coach. He has helped me a lot with my scoring and my pitching, it has been a huge factor missing in my game. I have a great team of people helping me now.
“I can’t fault a shot that I hit today. When you are making lots of birdies on a tricky day, you know you are going to be there or thereabouts.”
PGA Tour: Dean & Deluca Invitational – Jordan Spieth
The two-time Major champion and supposed out-of-touch World No 2 polished off his second win of 2016 by three shots at Colonial.
A five under back nine did the job with Harris English in second and Webb Simpson and member Ryan Palmer in third. English had reeled him in over the front nine but a long par save by Spieth got him going and he birdied three on the trot from the 10th.
Spieth holed from distance at 16 to nudge clear and then chipped in from behind the next green. He signed off in style by knocking in a 35-footer at the 72nd hole when three putts would have done. And he explained afterwards that some goading by the fans was the key to sparking that back-nine charge.
What Spieth said: “I heard it a few times in the crowd, you know, ‘Go Palmer, he’s going to do the Masters’ or whatever like that. I mean, that’s not fun to hear. ” Trying to throw all that out and just focus on what me and (caddie) Michael (Greller) are talking about on the next shot is the toughest thing, and we got through that at the end of the round.
“I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get over the hurdle of having to come in to every single interview room, having to listen to crowds only talk about what happened a month ago. It’s very difficult to stay present, stay positive when that’s happening, when those are the only questions. In our third tournament back, to come back and close this one out the way we did is really, really special.”
You can't make this stuff up.#ShotOfTheDay https://t.co/AIbOnZgw7A
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 30, 2016
LPGA Tour: LPGA Volvik Championship – Ariya Jutanugarn
The Thai soon-to-be superstar became the first player in Tour history to have the first three wins of her career come in consecutive tournaments. She is also the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three LPGA tournaments in a row.
She shot a 67 to win by five from Christina Kim while England’s Charley Hull, who struggled with tonsillitis during the week, tied for 20th.
Jutanugarn is expected to rise to No. 10 in the world rankings and her latest win came courtesy of four birdies in the last six holes.
What Jutanugarn said: “This year I just really want my goal is just like win a tournament so I win like three in a row quick.
I think last year I have chance to win like few tournament but I didn’t learn like how to play with pressure, like I didn’t know how to play golf. But this year, like especially last few week so I learn and I know how to play under pressure.”
ICYMI: Highlights from the final round of @VolvikLPGA where Ariya Jutanugarn won her 3rd consecutive event.https://t.co/q9rBl7QfRE
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 30, 2016
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Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.