History was made in multiple ways at the Travelers Championship on Sunday.
Advertisement
The American went round the par-70 TPC River Highlands course – host venue for the Travelers Championship won by Scotland’s Russell Knox – in just fifty-eight blows during his final round, carding ten birdies, one eagle and zero bogeys.
He posted his score despite picking up only one birdie in the final six holes, a 23-footer at the 16th. He has proclaimed it as his “hometown tournament” now that the U.S. Bank Championship is no longer in his home state of Wisconsin.
“I felt like the Incredible Hulk when it went in”, said Knox, who goes 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds. “I could have ripped my shirt off”.
Knox, 31, shot 2-under-par 68 Sunday to finish 14-under for the tournament.
Jim Furyk hit the first ever 58 on the PGA Tour as Russell Knox boosted his Ryder Cup hopes claimed victory at the Travelers Championship.
Furyk, who finished tied for fifth on 269, described his closing round as a grinding, mental struggle.
31 year old Knox had also won the HSBC Champions late last year and in 2016 had been runner-up to Branden Grace at the RBC Heritage and had also finished runner-up at the Irish Open on the European Tour.
Before his ball had hit the bottom of the cup on No. 14, Berger had made a bogey on the par-5 No. 6 and four straight bogeys to kick off the back nine, disappearing from the top of the leaderboard after holding the lead through 54 holes.
Knox put his drive on No. 18 deep in the rough and his second shot in a bunker. He pitched out short of the hole, setting up a putt that went straight into the hole. He didn’t tear his shirt off, but did send his hat flying in celebration.
“I started to maybe raise an eyebrow on holes four, five and six”, Furyk said.
“Once it started kind of creeping left, I knew it was going in, and what an unbelievable feeling”.
A four-under-par 66 ensured Marc Leishman was the best-placed Australian as he finished in a tie for ninth, four shots behind Knox.
Rodgers shot a 2-under 68.
Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 72 in his final round to finish the tournament at 1-under 279 and in a tie for 64th. The Conway Farms course Furyk played that day was a par-71 course, so he was 12-under that day, too.
Furyk broke quickly with a 15-foot birdie putt on the second hole and a eagle-two on the third hole, using a pitching wedge from 135 yards out. Also the Louisiana Open and El Bosque Mexico victor, he will be fully exempt on the 2016-17 PGA Tour.
It was tougher for the leaders in the afternoon. Third-round leader Daniel Berger, who led by three shots heading into the final round, shot a 74 and tied for fifth at 11-under.
On a day when the lead at TPC River Highlands was a poison potato, it seemed inevitable that Knox, one up on Kelly with one hole to play, would manage to blow up.
The PGA Tour now heads to Silvis in IL for the rescheduled John Deere Classic. “Jerry!” by pounding his heart with his fist as he walked up the 18th fairway.
“I tell myself every day I’m good enough to win tournaments, it’s been an enjoyable ride, ” he said after holing a par-putt on the last and flinging his baseball cap off the green in triumph.
Advertisement
Elsewhere, Anthony Wall saw off Alex Noren in the Aberdeen Asset Management Paul Lawrie Match Play final to win his second European Tour title.
