Billy Horschel hasn’t been the same since winning the 2014 Tour Championship to claim the FedExCup.
Horschel ended more than two years of frustration when he made par on the first extra hole to win the AT&T Byron Nelson when Jason Day of Australia missed a four-foot par putt that would have kept the playoff alive at TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas.
“After four straight missed cuts, I came here with nothing suggesting that I might play well, but I did,” said Horschel, who earned his fourth PGA Tour victory. “Unfortunately, I don’t want to win like that (with Day missing), but I’ll take it.
“It was a battle all day between James (Hahn), Jason and me (in the final threesome). Somebody was looking out for me today.”
Horschel sank a 59-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole and then made a four-foot par putt two holes later to pull even with Day en route to a 1-under-par, while Day chipped in for birdie from 78 feet at No. 15 in a 68, as they finished at 12-under 268.
The fourth-ranked Day was trying to win for the first time since the Players Championship a year ago, but had to be satisfied with his best finish of the season after missing the last three months of 2016 because back problems and dealing this year with his mother’s cancer battle.
“When you’re in the position like that you have to go for it and try to win,” said Day, who ran his long, downhill birdie putt past the hole. “I can’t just lag it down there two feet short and keep going back and forth. Overall it was a pretty good week, but obviously I’m disappointed they I didn’t get the win.”
Hahn, from Alameda and Cal, held the 54-hole lead and was ahead by two strokes early on the back nine of the final round, but followed two straight birdies with three consecutive bogeys through No.14 and closed with a 71 to finish one stroke back in third.
Jason Kokrak, who led after shooting a career-best 62 in round two, carded a 70 and was another shot back in fourth, while Danny Lee and Sean O’Hair posted 68s to wind up four back in a tie for fifth with Byeong Hun An of South Korea, who totaled 69, and Bud Cauley, who came in at 70.
Nick Taylor of Canada recorded a bogey-free 65 that was the best score of the day and was another stroke behind in a tie for ninth with Joel Dahmen, who had a 67, Matt Kuchar, who finished at 69, and Cameron Tringale of Laguna Niguel, who closed with a 72.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson shot 69 and tied for 13th.
