STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Adam Scott has a Texas slam to go with that No. 1 world ranking he will get to keep for now.
Scott capped his first week as the top-ranked player with a comeback victory Sunday at Colonial. He made a 7-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff to beat Jason Dufner and become the first player to win all four PGA Tour events played in the Lone Star State.
“That’s a pretty good slam to start with,” Scott said. “I’ll see if I can find some kind of other slam eventually in my career.”
Only days after officially overtaking the injured Tiger Woods for No. 1, Scott bogeyed four of his first nine holes in the opening round at Hogan’s Alley. Then midway through the final round, the 2013 Masters champion had a double bogey that dropped him three strokes off the lead.
“It was a great week, I mean, no matter what,” he said. “It’s another experience, learning experience on how golf is, to get off to such a poor start on Thursday, and kind of claw my way back day to day. … It’s so satisfying in so many ways to get it done.”
Scott looked like a No. 1 player with consecutive birdies in the playoff against Dufner, who won the PGA Championship last year.
“It’s a good feeling, and maybe some validation,” Scott said.
Scott and Dufner both parred No. 18 to start the playoff before matching birdies at the 17th hole. Dufner hit his approach pin high on 17 to 4½ feet, but Scott drained a 14-foot birdie before he even putted.
Dufner, who made a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 18 in regulation, slid a 40-footer past when he and Scott played the 18th hole for the second time during the playoff. Scott then made his 7-footer for his 11th PGA Tour victory, to go along with 13 international titles, only 5½ weeks after the 33-year-old Australian got married.
“It’s tough to beat him. He’s a great player. It’s tough to concentrate, he’s so good looking, too,” Dufner said. “I thought maybe I could sneak one in there on 17, but he topped me.”
Scott and Dufner both shot 4-under 66 to finish at 9 under, the highest winning score at Colonial since 1999. They started the final round part of a seven-way tie for 11th place, but only two strokes behind a quartet of leaders.
Along with $1,152,000 and the traditional plaid jacket for winning Colonial, Scott became the only player to win at Colonial, the Byron Nelson Championship, San Antonio and Houston. There are 13 other players with victories at three of those four, including Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan and Nick Price.
About 30 minutes after Dufner made his long birdie at No. 18 in regulation to get to 9 under, Scott made a closing par after just missing a 31-foot birdie chance. It was just less than an hour later when the two went back to No. 18 to start the playoff.
The 11th playoff in Colonial history was the first since 2009, and the longest since Jim Colbert beat Fuzzy Zoeller on the sixth extra hole in 1983.
Nicholas Thompson (66) and Freddie Jacobson (67) tied for third at 8 under.
David Toms, in the final group, led at 9 under when he made his turn, but made three bogeys over the next five holes. Toms shot a closing 70 to finish at 7 under, a stroke ahead of Jimmy Walker, No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings.
With four birdies and a three-putt bogey in his first six holes, Scott was already at 8 under. His only other three-putt at Colonial was from 17 feet at No. 9, dropping him to 6 under.
Dufner, who was also second at Colonial two years ago, gave up a stroke when he missed a par putt from less than 3 feet at the 615-yard 11th hole. When his 12-foot birdie chance at the 440-yard 12th slid a half-foot past the cup, Dufner stood momentarily and stared at the ball before tapping in his par.
Scott caught up with consecutive birdies on those same holes, pitching to 9 feet at No. 11 before hitting his approach at No. 12 to 4 feet. He got to 9 under with a 39-foot birdie putt at the 453-yard 14th.
“I didn’t want to let this one slip,” Scott said. “So I played hard and I was really happy with where my game was at.”
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
