IRVING, Texas — The four-stroke victory by Steven Bowditch at the AT&T Byron Nelson Sunday might rank as only his second best experience at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas. Four years after getting married at the resort, Bowditch became the latest Australian to win the PGA Tour stop in Irving, Texas, when he pulled away with a decisive four-birdie burst over the final eight holes. “This is a very special place for myself and my wife. We took some wedding pictures here. Now I get to take some more pictures,” Bowditch told CBS TV after tapping in his winning putt only a few yards from where he tied the knot with Amanda. He finished at 18-under 259, earning nearly $1.3 million for his second PGA Tour victory, while Americans Charley Hoffman (65), Jimmy Walker (66) and Scott Pinckney (66) shared second on 14-under. The odd total came as the par-four 14th was played as a par-three the final three rounds due to saturated conditions. Bowditch, who turns 32 next week, is the third Australian winner here over the last eight years, joining Adam Scott (2008) and Jason Day (2010). All three players learned their craft at the same golf academy in Queensland. He started the day with a two-shot lead and effectively clinched victory with a brilliant birdie at the par-five 16th. Bowditch said his apparent calmness masked his nervousness down the stretch. Born and raised in Australia, where he had a stellar amateur career, Bowditch has called the Dallas-Fort Worth area home since he moved to the US to pursue his golf career. On a sunny day that followed weeks of torrential rain, American Dustin Johnson came out with guns blazing. He had chip-in birdies at the first and third holes to tie for the lead, but his hopes ended with a quadruple-bogey at the par-four sixth, where he sliced his drive out-of-bounds and then pulled his next attempt from the tee into more trouble. Johnson tied for eighth on 11-under, while Masters champion and hometown hero Jordan Spieth was equal 30th on seven-under. Nordqvist wins one for mum Anna Nordqvist used back-to-back birdies from the 16th to win the ShopRite LPGA Classic by one shot over Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands and cap a happy Swedish Mother's Day Sunday in Galloway, New Jersey. Nordqvist came to the par-five 18th with a two-shot lead, thanks to a botched birdie putt from less than two feet by Boeljon, and won despite a bogey at the last. The Swede posted a two-under-par 69 for a 54-hole total of eight-under 205 on the Bay Course at the windy Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club just inland from Atlantic City. Boeljon, seeking her first LPGA win after three wins on the European tour, finished with a 68 for a combined 206. American Morgan Pressel, who lead by one shot after the first two rounds, wobbled with a bogey at the sixth followed by a double-bogey at the next to register a 73 and share third place with American rookie Kelly Shon (70) on five-under 208. Pressel, 27, was seeking her first LPGA win since 2008. Five players were bunched another stroke back on four-under including world number two Park In-bee of South Korea and Australian Karrie Webb. — Agencies
