Hoffman birdies final hole to win Texas Open

Charley Hoffman made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Valero Texas Open on Sunday in San Antonio for his fourth PGA Tour victory.

The 39-year-old Hoffman closed with a 3-under 69 at TPC San Antonio for a one-stroke victory over Patrick Reed. Hoffman finished at 12-under 276 and earned $1,116,000.

“This was my hardest one,” Hoffman said after a vigorous fist-pump and drill-team leg kick when the winning putt fell at 18. “Grabbing that lead and holding on to it – it’s tough to keep the pedal down and give yourself birdie opportunities and win golf tournaments.”

Playing alongside Hoffman, Reed also birdied the par-5 18th for a 69. He missed birdie putts inside 8 feet on the par-3 16th and par-4 17th.

“Today I was missing a lot of short putts, so I’m shocked I even had a chance,” Reed said.

Reed, who was born in San Antonio, put pressure on Hoffman with a tap-in birdie at the 18th after reaching the fringe on the 595-yard hole in two. His shot to the green came from the left-hand rough, and had to clear an oak tree and creek in front of the green.

Hoffman followed by hitting his third shot from a greenside bunker to set up his birdie.

“It was about a cup outside left,” Hoffman said. “I said to myself ‘Let’s finish this here. Let’s not play anymore.’”

Hoffman also won the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, 2010 Deutsche Bank Championship and 2015 OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Chad Collins was a career-best third at 10 under after a 69. He birdied four of the last five holes.

Third-round leader Ricky Barnes, looking for his first PGA Tour win in 222 tries, stumbled to a 74 to drop into a tie for fourth at 9 under with Kevin Chappell (68), Billy Horschel (70), Ryan Palmer (69) and Martin Piller (70). It was a career best for Piller, the husband of LPGA Tour player Gerina Piller.

Brendan Steele, the 2011 winner who led the first two rounds, had a 75 to tie for 13th at 7 under.

LPGA Tour

Haru Nomura held on in strong wind to win the Swinging Skirts Classic in Daly City, California, for her second LPGA Tour victory of the year.

The 23-year-old Japanese player closed with a 1-over 73 in wind gusting to 35 mph at Lake Merced to finish at 9-under 279 and beat South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace by four strokes.

Nomura won the Australian Women’s Open in February, pulling away to beat top-ranked Lydia Ko by three strokes for her first LPGA Tour title.

After birdieing the par-5 sixth to reach 11 under, Nomura bogeyed four of the next five holes. She rebounded with a speeding 70-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th, added another birdie on 14 and offset a bogey on 16 with a birdie on 17.

Champions Tour

Woody Austin and Michael Allen won the PGA Tour Champions’ Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, giving Austin two straight victories and three in the last four events on the 50-and-over tour.

Allen made an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over David Frost and Roger Chapman.

“Woody’s given me confidence all week,” Allen said. “He’s been reading these greens so well, better than I do, and he told me it was just like a right-edge putt. He’s been right all week and really for once I kind of hit one where I was supposed to and got it to the hole.”

Austin and Allen closed with a 6-under 48 in breezy conditions, playing nine holes of modified alternate shot and nine of better ball on the par-3 Top of the Rock course. They finished at 23-under 156.