J.J. Spaun wins Texas Open. Lauren Coughlin runs away in Aramco Championship
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — J. J. Spaun came up with two big shots at the end of a long, wet Sunday, one leading to birdie and the other for eagle that carried him to a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory in the Valero Texas Open for his first title since the U.
S. Open last summer. Spaun won for the second time at the TPC San Antonio, with one big difference.
His victory four years ago got him into the Masters. Now he is the U. S.
Open champion who already had his spot at Augusta National secured. But this was an important win. He had yet to finish in the top 20 in seven starts this year — his best was a tie for 24th in The Players Championship — and now the 35-year-old Californian has a validating win in tough conditions as he heads into the first major of the year.
Robert MacIntyre, who had led for so much of the tournament, completed 12 holes Sunday morning in the storm-delayed tournament for an even-par 72 to stay ahead by a shot going into the final round. Spaun was in the mix with a dozen other players when he hit his tee shot to 3 feet on the par-3 16th for birdie, and then drove the green on the 306-yard 17th hole to 10 feet for eagle. He finished with a par to set the target at 17-under 271, finishing about an hour before MacIntyre and the final group.