Sung Kang of South Korea weathered the storm at the AT&T Byron Nelson on Saturday and claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour.
The 31-year-old Kang birdied three straight holes on the back nine while shooting 4-under-par 67 to win by two strokes over Matt Every and Scott Piercy at Trinity Forest Golf Club https://trinityforestgc.com in Dallas.
“Yesterday was such a long day that I got only about three hours sleep last night,” said Kang, who won four times on the Korean Tour. “I felt like I was not fully focused this morning and told my caddie I was just going to try to go out there and have fun.
“I just hoped my turn had come and everything worked out great. I’m so happy right now. … I’ve dreamt about winning a PGA Tour event since I was young and saw Tiger Woods dominating. It just feels amazing.”
Kang, who now lives in Texas, was tied for the lead with Every before sinking a three-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, a 22-footer on the 15th and a seven-footer on the 16th en route to a tournament record score of 23-under 261.
After taking a four-stroke lead with a 61 in the second round, Kang fell one shot behind Every on a rainy Saturday, but returned to play the last nine holes of round three on Sunday morning, rebuilding his lead to three with a 68.
Every, whose two PGA Tour victories came back-to-back in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2014 and 2015, had five birdies on the front nine in a 66, while Piercy became the first player on the circuit since Charles Howell III in 2010 to play a 72-hole tournament without a bogey while closing with a 64.
Brooks Koepka, who defends his title this week in the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, carded a bogey-free 65 that included a 36-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole and was three back in solo fourth.
“I played good today,” said Koepka, who has won three majors in the last two years. “I feel good, I like the way I’m hitting it and I’m putting well.”
Peter Uihlein posted a bogey-free 64 and was six down in a tie for fifth with Kiradech Aphibarnrat (64) of Thailand, Rory Sabbatini (67) of Slovakia, Tyler Duncan (67) and Matt Jones (67) of Australia.
Justin Harding of South Africa had a bogey-free 65 to wind up seven strokes back in a tie for 10th with Sebastian Munoz of Colombia, who came in at 68.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden shot 69 to tie for 20th, while local favorite Jordan Spieth, who will try to complete the modern Career Grand Slam in the PGA, tied for 29th after a 71, and defending champion Aaron Wise of Lake Elsinore closed with a 71 to tie for 43rd.
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