Watson wins Travelers title in playoff

Associated Press

CROMWELL, Conn.

Bubba Watson made an 8-foot birdie putt on the second hole a playoff Sunday to outlast Paul Casey and win the Travelers Championship for the second time.

Casey overcame a three-stroke deficit with five to play, tying Watson at 16-under 264 in light rain at TPC River Highlands.

But the 37-year-old Englishman, playing the tournament for the first time, lost his chance at the title while playing the par-4 18th for the third time when his third shot from a greenside bunker flew over the green and landed on the cart path.

Watson hit his 160-yard approach just to the right of the hole to set up his winning putt.

“I hung on, and that’s what you have to do sometimes to win,” Watson said.

Watson had a chance to win in regulation. But the two-time Masters champion bogeyed the 17th, while Casey closed with three birdies on the final five holes, sandwiched around a bogey on 15.

Casey watched in the scoring trailer with 9-month-old son Lex on his lap as Watson made a 31/2 -foot par putt to force the playoff.

Watson finished with a 67, and Casey shot 65.

“There are always ifs and buts and could haves,” Casey said. “But the goal was to give myself a chance to win, and I did that.”

Watson has eight PGA Tour titles, also winning a playoff in the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in November at the start of the season.

He won the Travelers in 2010 in a three-way playoff for his first win on the PGA Tour and is 5-1 in playoffs.

“It’s just about staying calm,” he said. “That’s what you have to do, you just breathe and walk slower, take some deep breaths and focus on the fact that no matter what you still come in second place.”

It was the sixth time since 2004 the tournament has been decided in a playoff.

Brian Harman, who had a one-stroke lead after 54 holes, had a 69 to finish a stroke out of the playoff. After 39 straight holes without a bogey, he had back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10 to fall two strokes behind Watson.

His birdies on the final two holes were not enough to catch Casey and Watson.

But the finish assured the 28-year-old from Georgia a spot in the British Open.