TWO-TIME MAJOR champion John Daly won his first PGA sanctioned tournament since 2004, capturing the 50-and-over Champions Tour’s Insperity Invitational by a stroke in Texas.
Daly closed with three bogeys in a row but fired a final-round three-under par 69 to win the 54-hole event with a 14-under par 202 total at The Woodlands, edging US compatriots Kenny Perry and Tommy Armour III by a stroke.
Daly, who turned 51 last month, had not won a PGA-sanctioned event since the 2004 Buick Invitational, a triumph that helped make him that season’s US PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year.
Daly, who made his Champions Tour debut at the Insperity last year, has been a fan favourite for his outspoken style and zest for life.
He broke onto the scene by winning the 1991 PGA Championship after being the last alternate into the field. His other major title came at the 1995 British Open.
A big win for Big John.@PGA_JohnDaly wins the @InsperityInvtnl for his first victory on PGA TOUR Champions. 🍾 pic.twitter.com/bxTbhQQuTn
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 7, 2017
Meanwhile, Brian Harman sank a 28-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the PGA Wells Fargo Championship, edging top-ranked Dustin Johnson and Pat Perez by a stroke.
Harman, whose only prior tour triumph came at the 2014 John Deere Classic, birdied the last two holes to deny fellow American Johnson a chance at his fourth consecutive PGA triumph in his comeback event after missing the Masters with a back injury.
“It’s a lot of emotion for sure,” Harman said. “I’ve been fighting really hard. I’ve been working really hard. This one feels pretty good.”
Harman fired a four-under par 68 to finish 72 holes on 10-under 278 at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, North Carolina — a one-year host for the event while its usual course, Quail Hollow in Charlotte, readies for the PGA Championship in August.
Johnson, who matched the day’s low round with his second consecutive 67, said he feels fit physically and mentally as he prepares to defend his US Open title next month at Erin Hills.
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