Kirk Wins Colonial
FORT WORTH, Texas — PGA journeyman Chris Kirk’s second victory in Texas was much more lucrative than his first.
Kirk, who was awarded the Ben Hogan Award as an amateur in 2007, shot a final-round, 4-under-par 66 Sunday to beat Jordan Spieth and two others by one stroke at the soggy Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
The former Georgia golfer became the first player to win both the award named in honor of nine-time major champion Ben Hogan, a Fort Worth resident until his death in 1997, and the Colonial event.
The Hogan Award is presented annually to the college player who best combines academic and golfing excellence. Kirk was a finalist for the award in 2006 but didn’t win.
Rather than a plaque for his victory Sunday, Kirk left Colonial with a trophy and a check for $1.17 million.
“Those two years coming here and getting to play the course and seeing the incredible history really made me love Fort Worth,” Kirk said. “I found that it was a course that really suited my game. It is my favorite place to come year in and year out, so to win it for all those reasons is just beyond belief.”
Kirk, who finished at 12-under 268, recorded a decisive birdie on the par-4 15th, then
made an up-and-down par save on No. 18 to avoid a four-man playoff, edging Spieth, Jason Bohn and Brandt Snedeker. Bohn shot a tournament-low 63 in the final round at Colonial Country Club.
The victory was Kirk’s fourth in nine seasons on the PGA Tour.
Snedeker missed a 12-foot birdie attempt at No. 18.
Kirk and Snedeker, playing in the same group and with Kirk ahead by one stroke, each hit their drives on the final hole left and into the rough and an area of trees. Both had a clearing to make a shot. Kirk’s landed deep and over the green.
Snedeker’s birdie attempt just slid past. Kirk drained his 7-footer for par.
“Did a great job of giving myself a good putt there,” Snedeker said. “Didn’t hit a good putt there. … Never really had a chance, and that’s disappointing because that’s kind of my strength, and to hit a bad putt like that when it matters is doubly hard.”
Spieth, the local favorite from nearby Dallas and the FedEx Cup standings leader, fired a 5-under 65 in the final round, but a three-putt bogey on No. 16 left him needing help even after he closed with a birdie. Spieth played the weekend rounds at 8 under after a 3-over 73 in Friday’s second round.
“The second round set me back,” Spieth said. “Would have liked to maybe go back to 16, but other than that, really proud of the way we finished on 18 there, giving it a chance. Chris just made a really, really solid putt.”
Sunday’s play was delayed three hours because of overnight rain storms that extended into the morning, sending the course to its saturation point.
The threat of rain hung over play most of the day, though the sun appeared for the final three holes. The tournament director warned that a heavy downpour would “put us out of business” for Sunday.
Kirk opened his round with an eagle on the par-5 first hole. He had a bogey at No. 7 but birdied No. 9 and No. 12. A sand save at No. 14 set up what turned out to be a winner at No. 15.
Kirk went for the pin, nestling an 8-iron approach from 157 yards to within 5 feet of the hole.
“The entire back nine ,I kind of had 13 as the number in my head that I was wanting to get to,” Kirk said. “I hit my 8-iron 160. I took just a hair off it.
“That’s a pin that you probably don’t fire at every single time, but I just felt good in the moment.”
Third-round leader Kevin Na was at 13 under before faltering at No. 9, sending his approach shot into a pond that sits in front of the green.
Na recorded double bogey and never recovered, finishing at 9-under 271 after a closing round of 2-over 72. He tied for 10th.
Bohn started the day at 4 under but came out firing.
He began with a 6-under 29 to match the second-best front nine at the Colonial. His six birdies included three in the “Horrible Horseshoe” of Nos. 3-5. He joined nine others with a 6-under 29 over the tournament’s 69 years on the course.
A birdie on the par-3 13th hole had him at 11 under, but he gave that stroke back at No. 15. His approach out of a fairway bunker hit the lip and bounced back near his feet. Bohn rebounded with birdie at No. 16, and his 27-footer for birdie at No. 18 lipped out.
“I was just making putts,” Bohn said. “I rolled my ball really well. I felt very comfortable.”
