Travelers Championship: Spieth triumphs after bunker drama

Final leaderboard

-12 Jordan Spieth, Daniel Berger (Spieth won at first extra hole)

-10 Charley Hoffman, Danny Lee

-9 Patrick Reed, Paul Casey, Boo Weekley

Scroll down for full collated scores 

Day four report

Jordan Spieth holed a sensational bunker escape to snatch victory over Daniel Berger at the Travelers Championship.

The two American youngsters had finished tied at the top on 12 under after an erratic, but entertaining final round at TPC River Highlands, they returned to the 18th tee and both left themselves in trouble with their drives.

Berger had the honour and pulled his drive into the left rough before Spieth, who enjoyed a number of fortunate breaks on the back nine in particular, failed to clear the tree on the left of the fairway and his ball cannoned off a branch and back into the short grass.

Spieth then came up short with his long, five-iron approach and found the same short-right bunker he had in regulation, while Berger tugged his second into the fringe to the left of the green, some 50 feet from the pin.

But Spieth then produced one of the shots of the season as he splashed out and watched anxiously as his ball kicked forward on a good line, and it hit the centre of the flagstick and dropped in to spark wild celebrations from the two-time major champion and the thousands of fans surrounding the green.

Berger's attempt to extend the contest was a valiant effort, but it drifted past the cup on the left as Spieth clinched his second PGA Tour title of the season, and the 10th of his career.

Spieth had started the day with a one-shot lead over fan-favourite Boo Weekley, but the 43-year-old veteran faded out of contention with a closing 72 which left him three off the pace at the close.

Birdies at the opening two holes set Spieth on course for a comfortable victory, but his all-round game began to falter and he dropped a shot at the fourth before grinding out a series of pars.

He then three-putted from 50 feet at the 12th, and his drive at the 13th looked to be heading for the water on the right until his ball got caught up in the thick rough. But after clipping his third to three feet, he missed the putt for birdie and did the same on the next green to slip back to 11 under.

Spieth's pulled hybrid at the short par-four 15th again held in the rough when it appeared destined for a watery grave, and this time he took full advantage as he pitched to 15 feet and the putt caught just enough of the hole to drop.

The 23-year-old missed a good chance for another gain from 10 feet at 16 and, after a solid par at the 17th, he split the final fairway with a towering drive only to chunk his wedge approach into the same bunker as he would later find in the play-off as he defied the pressure to splash out to two feet to secure his par.

Berger, meanwhile, had earlier recovered from a bogey at the opening hole with a birdie from 10 feet at the second, and he then ground out 10 consecutive pars before breaking the run with a cracking second to the long 13th which set up a routine two-putt for birdie.

A superb up-and-down at the driveable 15th got him into a share of the lead and, after Spieth had edged back in front, Berger replied with a brave tee-shot to seven feet at the 17th which he followed with a confident putt straight into the middle of the cup.

Berger blocked his drive into the gallery at the last, but he gouged his second into a greenside bunker and splashed out to three feet before safely nailing the putt to set the target at 12 under, but he would be undone by the brilliance of Spieth at the first extra hole.

The leaders finished two strokes clear of Charley Hoffman, who closed with a flawless 66, and Danny Lee, while Paul Casey's challenge effectively ended with a double-bogey at the 10th as a 69 saw him finish at nine under alongside Weekley and Patrick Reed.

Collated final-round scores

(USA unless stated, par 70):

(a) denotes amateurs

268 Jordan Spieth 63 69 66 70 (Jordan Spieth won at the first extra hole) , Daniel Berger 68 67 66 67

270 Danny Lee (Nzl) 68 67 68 67, Charley Hoffman 69 67 68 66

271 Boo Weekley 66 68 65 72, Paul Casey (Eng) 68 68 66 69, Patrick Reed 67 66 72 66

272 Keegan Bradley 67 70 66 69, Cheng-Tsung Pan (Tai) 70 68 64 70, David Hearn (Can) 67 70 66 69, Troy Merritt 65 68 73 66, Webb Simpson 70 68 66 68, Kevin Streelman 69 70 69 64

273 Brendan Steele 68 68 69 68, Xander Schauffele 66 70 70 67, Brandt Snedeker 70 67 72 64

274 Rick Lamb 69 69 68 68, Hunter Mahan 68 71 68 67, Will MacKenzie 69 68 70 67, Tony Finau 70 67 70 67, Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 67 73 70 64, Marc Leishman (Aus) 69 68 68 69, Mackenzie Hughes (Can) 67 70 71 66, Anirban Lahiri (Ind) 73 63 71 67, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 66 69 71 68

275 Jason Kokrak 71 67 66 71, David Lingmerth (Swe) 67 70 65 73, Brett Stegmaier 64 72 71 68, Graham DeLaet (Can) 65 70 72 68, Grayson Murray 69 71 67 68, Jim Furyk 67 68 72 68, Morgan Hoffmann 67 70 69 69, Bryson DeChambeau 67 72 66 70, Bryce Molder 70 70 66 69

276 Bud Cauley 70 68 70 68, Brian Harman 66 70 69 71, Matt Every 66 72 69 69, Smylie Kaufman 68 67 72 69, Tom Hoge 66 72 71 67, Ricky Barnes 70 70 68 68, Ryan Brehm 68 68 69 71, Patrick Rodgers 70 65 69 72

277 Mark Hubbard 66 73 69 69, William McGirt 68 70 71 68, Chez Reavie 69 66 69 73, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 72 66 72 67, Chase null Seiffert 68 66 72 71, Emiliano Grillo (Arg) 69 70 71 67, Brad Fritsch (Can) 70 67 72 68, Kevin Tway 73 67 71 66, Daniel Summerhays 66 68 73 70, Johnson Wagner 64 72 71 70

278 Beau Hossler 66 69 72 71, Ryan Palmer 69 71 68 70, Patton Kizzire 73 67 68 70, Fabian Gomez (Arg) 66 70 72 70

279 Kevin Na 66 71 72 70, Vaughn Taylor 68 69 72 70, Kyle Stanley 70 67 74 68, Adam Hadwin (Can) 70 70 68 71, Robert Streb 67 73 71 68

280 Joel Dahmen 69 71 71 69, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 69 71 70, Russell Knox (Sco) 69 70 68 73, Jonas Blixt (Swe) 71 67 73 69

281 Hudson Swafford 66 71 74 70, Byeong-Hun An (Kor) 67 72 69 73, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 69 68 74 70

282 J.J. Henry 68 71 71 72, Rod Pampling (Aus) 67 72 71 72, Michael Kim 67 72 70 73, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 73 65 73 71

283 Nick Watney 69 69 72 73

285 Wesley Bryan 67 67 75 76

Day three report

Jordan Spieth resisted a spirited challenge from his fellow American Boo Weekley to preserve his one-shot lead in the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

The former world number one has been the clubhouse leader since Thursday but needed a birdie on the 18th hole of his third round to move back ahead of Weekley, who signed for a five-under 65 thanks to a back-nine 30 including birdies at each of the last two holes.

England's Paul Casey will be in title contention on the final day after climbing into a share of fourth place with CT Pan and David Lingmerth following a 66 that contained five birdies and a bogey.

Weekley, 43, said of his young opponent: "Jordan's a good dude. He's one of the most humble kids out here that play with us right now. Day in and day out, he's one of the most humble kids.

"My hat is off to him, and for who he is as a person."

Spieth, who is chasing his 10th PGA Tour title, replied: "I hope I'm having as much fun each day as Boo's having. I mean, he lives it up. It's fun to be around Boo.

"He's always very nice to everybody he sees. He's a guy everybody very much respects and really likes being around, and that's fun."

Day two report

Jordan Spieth maintained his one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.

The two-time major champion was unable to get close to matching his opening 63, but a one-under round of 69 saw him remain at the head of the pack on his tournament debut.

Playing partner Wesley Bryan moved into a share of fourth place with a second successive 67, but the biggest threat to Spieth appears to be Ryder Cup team-mate Patrick Reed, tied for second after a round of 66.

Spieth began round two as he had ended round one, a sublime wedge to the 12th hole setting up a birdie having started on 10.

However, he pulled a drive out-of-bounds at the par-five 13th on his way to a double-bogey seven, before missing a birdie putt from less than five feet at the next.

Spieth got one back at the driveable 15th hole having found the green from the tee, and added further birdies at the first and third holes to reach nine under.

A bogey at the tough fifth saw him drop back towards the chasing pack but none were able to join him on eight-under come the end of play.

Graham DeLaet had moved ahead of Spieth only to drop four shots late on and it was Reed who made a move with a closing birdie to get within one.

He's alongside Troy Merritt, who has made just two bogeys through 36 holes, while Daniel Summerhays, Boo Weekley and qualifier Chase Seiffert sit alongside Bryan, two adrift of the leader.

Padraig Harrington continued his comeback from a freak injury with a second under-par round to sit in a large group on five-under which includes DeLaet, Jim Furyk and recent winner Daniel Berger.

Spieth told Golf Channel: "It was a really solid start.

"I got things kicking off early and that helps you walk a little easier and helps with the shots you're playing throughout the round.

"You don't feel like you have to take as many chances and I was able to play away from some pins when I was in a little bit of trouble.

"You're not going to shoot seven-under every round, it's impossible and I recognise that, so it's about waiting for my chances to come in the same way we did today."

Anirban Lahiri, meanwhile, revealed how a recent stint at a meditation centre helped him shoot 63 to fly 108 places up the leaderboard.

The Indian said: "You go to the centre for 10 days, you switch your phones off. There is no TV, you're not allowed to read.

"You're meditating. You're not allowed to talk. So there is like complete silence for nine and a half days or so, and you're meditating for 10 to 12 hours a day.

"I find it very healing for me, and a lot of people who have gone there benefited from it. It's not something I do specifically for my golf, but it's something that's helped me."

Day one report

A birdie on the last hole saw Jordan Spieth take sole possession of the lead at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

The former world number one signed for a seven-under 63 on his debut at TPC River Highlands, with a bogey on the 406-yard ninth preventing him from securing more than a one-stroke advantage.

Local hopeful Brett Stegmaier was the early pacesetter and reached Thursday evening tied for second with fellow American Johnson Wagner, who like Stegmaier mixed seven birdies with a bogey.

Canadian Graham DeLaet had an eagle on the fifth to thank for his lofty position just outside the top three while Idaho-based Troy Merritt also carded 65 after recording four birdies on the front nine.

Padraig Harrington, the Irish three-time major winner, is part of a large group tied for sixth courtesy of his blemish-free 66.

Rory McIlroy finished four shots shy of his PGA Tour rival Spieth courtesy of a round-spoiling bogey on the last.

The Northern Irishman, who last week - for the second year running - missed the halfway cut at the US Open, underhit a putt from three feet.

Paul Casey could not follow up his strong showing at Erin Hills with a particularly strong opening round here and sits five strokes behind Spieth after a two-under 68.