Weekly Tour Wrap-up #8th April

The European Tour took a break last week ahead of the Masters, but a host of famous names teed it up on the PGA Tour in an attempt to secure the last remaining invite to the first major year.

In Texas, one of Scotland’s best players shot a course record-equaling final round to take his second PGA Tour title and earn his third ticket to the Masters.

Magical Martin triumphant in Texas

Martin Laird shot a final-round 63 to post a 14-under-par 72-hole total and win the Valero Texas Open by two shots from Rory McIlroy at the TPC San Antonio.

The Scotsman will now tee it up at Augusta National for the third consecutive year, becoming the 94^th and final player to earn a spot at one of golf’s most anticipated events.

Laird made a solid if unspectacular start to proceedings, carding an opening 70 to sit outside the top 15.

Despite the presence of some big names, it was a pair of the PGA Tour’s lesser- known players that shared the lead after round one.

Matt Battencourt – who has been struggling with severe asthma for the past year – and Peter Tomasulu both fired rounds of 67 to position themselves atop a crowded leaderboard.

They led three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, in-form Billy Horschel, Bryce Molder and Harris English by one shot after 18 holes.

Rory McIlroy, a late addition to the field, played some good golf, but a series of sloppy mistakes meant he could only muster a level-par 72.

His fortunes would change during the second round, though. He played his first 15 holes in two-under-par, but three closing birdies put him inside the top 10 and three off the lead heading into the weekend.

That lead belonged to Horschel, who birdied his last two holes for a second consecutive 68. At the halfway stage, he led the trio of Daniel Summerhays, course expert Charlie Hoffman and Australian Steven Bowditch by two shots on eight-under-par.

On Saturday, Horschel compiled a solid round in the blistery conditions and maintained his two shot advantage after a two-under-par 70.

Hoffman and adept wind player Jim Furyk shared second on eight under, two clear of McIlroy, Bob Estes and Ryan Palmer, whose bogey-free 68 was the best of the day.

A number of players fell backwards on a tough day of scoring, most notably two-time major champion Retief Goosen, who stumbled to an eight-over-par 80.

Horschel finished in a tie for second at last week’s Shell Houston Open, and the discussion prior to Sunday’s play focused predominantly on whether he could hang on for his first PGA Tour victory. 

The early signs weren’t bad, and a bogey at two, offset by a birdie at the 6^th hole, meant he retained the lead after a third of his round.

Ten minutes later, however, he’d been caught.

Laird stormed out of the blocks, making birdies at five of his first eight holes to catch Horschel on 10 under.

He added another at the 12^th to take the outright lead, with Horschel one back and McIlroy, who birdied eight and nine, lurking ominously just two off the lead.

But the Ulsterman made an untimely bogey at 10, and as Horschel dropped his second shot of the day at 13, Laird was starting his brilliant closing run.

After a fine 15-foot par save at the 15^th, he birdied the 16^th – where Greg Chalmers had earlier notched a hole-in-one – followed it with another at 17 and holed a downhill 17-footer at the closing par-5, his 63^rd shot of the day.

The Scotsman, one of the worst putters on tour, took a remarkable 22 putts during the final round.

Behind, McIlroy battled valiantly with four birdies in his final seven holes, but Laird was simply uncatchable.

Horschel also finished well, recording birdies at 15 and 18 to share third with Furyk and Hoffman.

Despite coming up short, McIlroy vindicated his decision to add the tournament to his schedule, and he’ll be confident heading to the Masters after his best performance of the season.

Elsewhere, South Korean Inbee Park won the first ladies major of the season at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, moving to second in the world.

Next week, all eyes will be on Augusta National for a tournament that looks poised to go down as a classic in the history books.