Billy Horschel claimed his first PGA Tour victory in the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and he’s done it again in the Big Easy along with Scott Piercy, now that it has become a team event.
Horschel (pictured right) and Piercy (left) posted a score of 5-under-par 67 in the alternate-shot format to hold off Pat Perez of San Diego and Jason Dufner by one stroke at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La.
“I won with a 23-foot putt the first time here and it’s great to win with a partner, too,” said Horschel, who claimed his fifth PGA Tour victory, the last coming a year ago in a playoff over Jason Day of Australia in the AT&T Byron Nelson. “I’ve been struggling since late last year and Scott was injured last year, so it was great to win again.
“I was struggling with my putting, so we shortened up my putter and it paid off. I just tried to put Scott within 125 yards and every time he put me within 10 feet on the green. He was amazing with his wedges.”
Added Piercy, who won for the fourth time on the PGA Tour: “It’s nice to win with a friend and we’re still excited. Billy played great all week and especially in the alternate-shot (rounds), so I just wanted to putt him in the right spots. On the greens, he was making everything.”
Horschel and Piercy, who struggled a bit in the first alternate-shot round on Friday with a 73, recorded a winning score of 22-under 266.
Perez and Dufner posted a bogey-free 68, but finished with seven consecutive pars while trying to catch the winners, with Dufner missing a 14-foot putt on the last hole that would have forced a playoff.
“(Horschel and Piercy) didn’t make any mistakes and we missed some putts,” Perez said. “So hats off to them.”
South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel birdied the first four holes of the back nine en route to a 68 and were two shots back in third, while Brice Garnett and Chesson Hadley totaled 71 and were another stroke down in a tie for fourth with Englishmen Chris Paisley and Tommy Fleetwood, whose 69 was capped by Paisley’s 47-yard hole-out eagle.
Tony Finau and Daniel Summerhays were four behind in sixth after a 73, while Patrick Cantlay of UCLA and Patrick Reed wound up at 69 to finish one more back in a tie for seventh with Scots Martin Laird and Russell Knox, and Adam Schenk and Tyler Duncan, both teams shooting 71.
Jamie Lovemark of USC and Brendan Steele of UC Riverside carded a 71 to finish six shots behind in a tie for 10th with Seamus Power of Ireland and David Hearn of Canada (68), Aussies Greg Chalmers and Cameron Percy (69), J.J. Henry and Tom Hoge (72), and Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe and Troy Merritt (73).
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