Spaun returns to successful methods in Texas

J.J. Spaun delivered a command efficiency at TPC San Antonio, securing victory on the Valero Texas Open with a 17-under par complete after surging by way of a packed leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.

The reigning US Open champion, who additionally received the event in 2022, fired a ultimate spherical 67 to overtake a brace of British hopefuls within the form of Matt Wallace and Bob McIntyre.

Spaun seperated himself from a tightly packed leaderboard with birdies on 10, 14 and 16, adopted by an eagle on the 306-yard, par-4 seventeenth, the place he drove the ball to 10 ft, which noticed him leapfrog previous a number of gamers to take the title by one shot after parring the final.

Spaun, who’s a Srixon workers participant, arrived on the occasion on the again for 4 missed cuts and no top-20 finishes in seven occasions on the PGA Tour this season, however he drew on his expertise on the powerful arrange at TPC San Antonio, mixing accuracy off the tee and with elite iron play to safe his sixth profession victory. He transformed 21 birdies throughout the week and ranked among the many leaders in greens in regulation, a key issue on a demanding setup.

“I put numerous strain on myself this yr to begin the yr,” Spaun mentioned. “And numerous expectations. “It’s been attempting, however typically you don’t should have your ‘A sport’ to win out right here and sticking to that mantra actually helped me.

“I simply accepted what I used to be ready to make use of this week. Went on the market and simply tried to get the ball within the gap. And no matter final result I had, whether or not it was a shot or a gap, I simply accepted it and moved on.”

With Spaun setting the clubhouse lead, MacIntyre, three pictures behind with two to play, drove the seventeenth and holed an eagle putt simply exterior 15 ft to get inside one shot. However the Scot hooked his second shot from on the 609-yard closing gap, and even after getting reduction from momentary immovable obstructions, he might solely hit wedge to 30 ft. His birdie putt to drive a playoff was quick and left him with a 70 to share second place with Matt Wallace and Michael Kim.

Ludvig Åberg, who had his third straight top-10 going into the Masters, closed with a 70 and tied for fifth with Andrew Putnam, who wanted a birdie on the 18th to drive a playoff and hit wedge right into a again bunker, making bogey for a 70.

J.J. Spaun’s WITBDriver: Titleist GT3 (9°)Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15°, 21°)Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4), Srixon ZXi7 (5-PW)Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore, (50°) Cleveland RTZ (54°), Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore (60°)Putter: L.A.B. Golf DF3Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond