MONDAY WRAP: Streelman wins with seven-birdie finish

American Kevin Streelman was not even on the radar of those players to watch heading into the final round of the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship.

With two bogies in his first seven holes at TPC River Highlands, he was eight shots behind the leader and doing his best get into red numbers for the day and still make a decent cheque – his first in more than four PGA Tour events.

Kevin Streelman makes his birdie at the final hole to set the clubhouse mark at 15 under. PHOTO: Getty Images

A 10-foot putt for birdie on the 9^th hole gave him a boost of confidence that he could finish with a charge … and what a charge it was.

The 35-year-old birdied each of his last seven holes to win the title by a stroke, having shot his second straight six under 64 to finish at 15 under.

"It's probably my favourite nine holes on the PGA Tour," Streelman said of the back nine at TPC River Highlands. "But you can't plan for something like that to happen. It just kind of falls into place."

Kevin Streelman holds the trophy after winning the Travelers Championship. PHOTO: Getty Images

Streelman broke the tour record for consecutive closing birdies by a winner of six set by Mike Souchak way back in 1956 at the St. Paul Open. He also matched the tournament record with a seven under 28 on the final nine.

"I had 10 one-putts in a row," he said. "That's something I've definitely never done before."

Streelman was one over for his final round before starting his charge at the 12^th hole. The birdie-run reached five with a 35-footer at the 16^th and the record, and win, were sealed when he smoothed a wedge approach into 10 feet and rolled in the putt at the last hole.

"I knew when that putt fell on 16 that something kind of special was happening," Streelman said.

It was an incredible form turn around for Streelman who missed the cut in his previous four starts.

"I didn't have too many expectations coming here," laughed Streelman, who earned US$1.12 million for the victory.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi, of South Korea, tied for second after both closed with three under 67s.

Coming off the back of his best major championship performance in five years at the US Open where he finished tied for 23^rd, Aaron Baddeley closed with a one under 69 to claim fourth place.

During the past two months, Baddeley has been showing glimpses of the form that has seen him win three times on the PGA Tour. Two birdies on the front nine had him at 14 under with nine holes to play and a big chance of breaking his win drought that dates back to 2011.

But a sloppy tee shot at the par-3 11^th found sand well short of the hole and resulted in a bogey. He also found greenside sand at the next hole and, again, was unable to get up-and-down for his par.

Aaron Baddeley needed a birdie at the last to tie Streelman. He finished tied 4th for his best finish thus far in 2014. PHOTO: Getty Images

Two further birdies at the 13^th and 17^th hole had him just one shot behind Streelman, who was already in the clubhouse. A birdie from the Victorian would force a play-off. When he missed the fairway right with his drive and could not reach the green with his second, his opportunity was gone.

Three other Australians finished in the top-20 – Marc Leishman closed with a 67 to finish tied for 11^th, while Jason Day and Stuart Appleby each finished at nine under and in a tie for 18^th place.

 LEADERBOARD

1. Kevin Streelman (US)   69-68-64-64–265

T2. Sergio Garcia (Esp)   65-69-65-67–266

T2. K.J Choi (S.Kor)   65-65-69-67–266

4. Aaron Baddeley (Vic)   67-66-6569–267

T5. Ryan Moore (US)   63-68-66-71–268

ALSO:

T11. Marc Leishman (Vic)   70-68-65-67–270

T18. Stuart Appleby (Vic)   69-70-68-64–271

T18. Jason Day (Qld)   70-69-67-65–271

*For the full leaderboard, click here