Zach Johnson successfully defended his Texas Open title in San Antonio, winning a sudden-death playoff with an unlikely contender Sunday.
Seven months after his first victory at La Cantera Golf Club, Johnson beat James Driscoll with a 10-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole after a final-round shootout in which seven players stood within a stroke of the lead with four holes left. “I feel very lucky,” said Johnson, the 2007 Master champion who closed with an even-par 70 and won $1,098,000 for his sixth PGA Tour title. Driscoll, eight strokes behind at the start of the round, shot a 62 to match Johnson at 15-under 265. On the first extra hole, the par-4 18th, Johnson hit a 6-iron approach to set up his winning putt. Driscoll’s birdie attempt from 27 feet rolled 2 feet wide. “When you get that close to a win, it’s a little disappointing,” said Driscoll, who has conditional status on the tour after finishing 141st on the money list last year. Johnson, who also won the Sony Open in January, vaulted to the top of the FedEx Cup standings.
Paul Goydos had a one-shot lead with two holes to play but closed with two bogeys for a 69, leaving him a stroke back along with Bill Haas (65), who birdied five of six holes from Nos. 11-16.