SAN ANTONIO — Jimmy Walker made himself right at home on the Texas Open leaderboard. Walker won his hometown event Sunday to become the first two-time winner this season on the PGA Tour, beating fellow Texan Jordan Spieth by four strokes. “(Spieth) really made me fight hard,” Walker said. “He kept hitting it close, and I had to keep making putts.”
Walker made birdie putts of 15 feet at No. 16 and 17 feet at the 17th in a 2-under 70 that left him at 11-under 277 at TPC San Antonio, a 35-minute drive from his home. The 36-year-old former Baylor player won the Sony Open in Hawaii by nine shots in January and has a tour-best five victories in the past two seasons.
“Everybody says it's hard to win at home," Walker said, “(but) it's hard to win any week — home, away, out of the country, it's hard. So I feel good.”
Spieth also finished with a 70, making four late birdies in a row. The 21-year-old Dallas player was coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago at Innisbrook. “It actually looked like I had a chance,” said Spieth, seven shots back with eight to play. “I didn’t think that would be possible. You’re never out of it in this game, but Jimmy shut that down pretty quickly with his made putts.”
Walker and Spieth will move to career highs in the world ranking, with Spieth going from sixth to fourth and Walker from 13th to 10th. “That’s cool,” Spieth said. “But I’m not pinching myself, because there are three guys ahead.” (AP)
