Spieth holes bunker shot to win Travelers playoff
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) – Jordan Spieth needed an extra hole, a little bit of luck and an amazing final shot to finish off a wire-to-wire victory in the Travelers Championship.
The two-time major champion holed out from 60 feet for birdie from a greenside bunker on the first hole of a playoff with Daniel Berger on Sunday at TPC River Highlands.
The 23-year-old Texan joined Tiger Woods as the only PGA Tour players in the era since World War II with 10 victories before the age of 24. Woods won 15 times before he turned 24.
“That was one for the ages,” said Spieth, also the winner at Pebble Beach in February.
Spieth held a one-stroke edge after each of the first three rounds. He closed with an even-par 70 to match Berger – who birdied three of the final six holes for a 67 – at 12-under 268.
Berger, the Memphis winner two weeks ago before missing the cut last week at the US Open, just missed a 50-foot putt from off the 18th green left that would have forced a second playoff hole.
“Jordan does Jordan things,” Berger said. “So there’s not really much you can say. I’m obviously disappointed, but happy to be in the position I was in today.”
Berger began the round in third place, three shots back. He tied Spieth for a lead with a 5-foot birdie putt on 15 as Spieth was making bogey on 14 and tied him again with a birdie from 8 feet at 17.
The pair, playing a group apart, both hit their approach shots on 18 into the same greenside bunker. Both chipped out close to the hole and both saved par to force the playoff.
Ryu clinches No. 1 ranking
Ryu So-Yeon seized the world No. 1 ranking on Sunday as she closed with a two-under 69 at the Northwest Arkansas Championship for her 15th career international title.
Ryu, who won her second major championship in April at the ANA Inspiration, finished the 54-hole LPGA Tour event at 18-under 195 for a two-shot win over South Korean compatriot Amy Yang and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.
“Dreams come true. I always dreamed about it. I cannot believe it,’’ said Ryu. “I didn’t expect two good things coming together.’’
This is the first time in her career that Ryu has reached No. 1, having just slipped past Ariya Jutanugarn, the younger sister of Moriya, when the numbers were calculated on Sunday night.
