MONDAY WRAP: Bowditch breaks through on PGA Tour

The roller-coaster career of Steven Bowditch has reached its most significant pinnacle to date with the mercurial Queenslander’s first victory on the US PGA Tour.

BY STEVE KEIPERT

The roller-coaster career of Steven Bowditch has reached its most significant pinnacle to date with the mercurial Queenslander’s first victory on the US PGA Tour.

And life’s about to get better in a hurry when the 30-year-old drives down Magnolia Lane next week for his first Masters, courtesy of Bowditch’s one-stroke victory at the Valero Texas Open. He becomes the sixth Australian to join this year’s elite field at Augusta National.

Steven Bowditch shows his emotion during the presentation after winning the Valero Texas Open. PHOTO: Getty Images

In blustery weather for the final round at TPC San Antonio, Bowditch carded a closing 76 to sneak home by one stroke from American duo Will MacKenzie and Daniel Summerhays and by two from playing partners Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe.

Bowditch’s tournament scoring was typically volatile as he built a solid lead during the second round only to double-bogey his closing hole on Friday and trim his overnight lead to one shot. An erratic but brilliant 68 on Saturday – a round in which he began with two chip-ins and hit just eight greens in regulation but made only one bogey – crafted a three-shot edge.

Early dropped shots allowed Kuchar to catch Bowditch by the turn in the final round as the pair began the inward half tied at nine-under-par. Yet it was the vastly more experienced and consistent American who faltered on the closing stretch. Kuchar made three uncharacteristic bogeys on the back nine as Bowditch chalked up pars against a lone birdie and bogey until the last hole. Left with two putts to win from close range on the 18th green, Bowditch added one last layer of drama to his breakthrough week by missing a tiddler to cut his victory margin to one shot. His closing 76 was the highest final round by a PGA Tour winner since Vijay Singh’s 76 at the US PGA Championship a decade ago.

Bowditch waves to the crowd after winning his maiden PGA Tour title. PHOTO: Getty Images

“I’m over the moon, I really can’t believe it,” said Bowditch, who now has job security on Tour until at least the end of 2016. “Every time I got out of check, looking ahead to the Masters and winning golf events and making my speeches before I was finished, I had to pull myself in check every time. And it happened a lot today.”

Bowditch won twice on the then-Nationwide Tour, including emphatically at the now-defunct Jacob’s Creek Open at Royal Adelaide in 2005. Coincidentally, his second title in 2010 came at Summerhays’ expense. He also owns three further PGA Tour of Australasia titles, gathered between 2004 and 2010.

Few ever questioned his talent, just occasionally his mindset and self-confidence. Bowditch has candidly shared his ongoing battle with depression and, whether related or not, his scores often fluctuate between awesome and appalling. An indication of his struggles came through the warm reception he received from fellow Aussies John Senden, Aaron Baddeley and Scott Gardiner behind the 18th green in San Antonio.

“He’s been a battler. He’s gone through a lot in his life,” Senden said. “That last putt wasn’t his best, but to finish it off he was as cool as a cucumber, really. I’m proud to be his mate.”

Bowditch is the second Australian to win the Texas Open since the tournament relocated to the Greg Norman-designed TPC San Antonio course after Adam Scott won there in 2010. This latest triumph makes it two Aussie victors in the past three weeks on the PGA Tour, with Scott’s loss at Bay Hill robbing Australia of its first hat trick on the world’s premier circuit.

It seems for the growing Aussie contingent the Masters can’t come soon enough.

LEADERBOARD

1. Steven Bowditch (Qld) 69-67-68-76—280

T2. Will MacKenzie (US) 69-72-70-70—281

T2. Daniel Summerhays (US) 72-68-70-71—281

T4. Matt Kuchar (US) 70-72-65-75—282

T4. Andrew Loupe (US) 67-70-70-75—282

ALSO:

T11. Geoff Ogilvy (Vic) 74-69-69-73—285

T42. John Senden (Qld) 72-73-73-73—291

T46. Bronson La’Cassie (Qld) 74-73-70-75—292

T56. Greg Chalmers (WA) 73-73-74-73—293