Swafford sweeps to maiden PGA Tour title
Hudson Swafford produced a fabulous finish at the CareerBuilder Challenge to claim his maiden PGA Tour title.
Swafford had led at the halfway stage in La Quinta, but began the final round trailing by two strokes following Adam Hadwin’s sensational 59.
Chad Campbell, whose last PGA Tour win came back in 2007, quickly overhauled Hadwin with a fast start on Sunday, only to triple-bogey the par-three sixth.
At one point on the back nine, Campbell, Hadwin and Swafford were among six players tied for the lead at 17 under.
Yet world number 204 Swafford – a player without a top-10 finish in more than a year prior to this event – ultimately pulled clear as three successive birdies from the 15th lifted him to 20 under and ensured he held off the similarly fast-finishing Hadwin.
Congratulations to @Hud_swafford on winning the @cbgolfchallenge for first career @PGATOUR win pic.twitter.com/reLRgrXNQX
— PGA TOUR Media (@PGATOURmedia) January 22, 2017
Canadian Hadwin matched Swafford’s birdies at 16 and 17, but came up one short at 19 under, with Brian Harman and Bud Cauley a shot further back and Campbell four off the pace following a sloppy finish.
The highlight of Swafford’s closing 67 was his tee shot at the penultimate hole, which left a tap-in birdie putt.
Entering Alcatraz with a one-shot lead …
Talk about a golf shot. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/UAncuXLKrD
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 22, 2017
On his return from injury, tournament ambassador Phil Mickelson finished in a tie for 21st at 11 under.
