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Todd holds on to win the HP Byron Nelson Championship

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Going into the final round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, one would think that the PGA Tour had entered a time warp. Names like Mike Weir, Charles Howell III and Padraig Harrington were all within three shots of the lead, creating a leaderboard that seemed more plausible had the event taken place a decade ago. But with some magical short-game shots over the final eight holes, newcomer Brendon Todd held on to win the HP Byron Nelson Championship and became the eighth first-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2014.

Click here to see the clubs Todd used to win the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

Todd, 28, was already knee deep in his finest professional campaign, leading after 36 and 54 holes at the TPC Four Season Resort in Irvine, Texas. On Sunday, he closed with a bogey-free 66 to finish 14-under-par, two shots clear Mike Weir and three clear of Charles Howell III and Australian Marc Leishman.

Weir was the talk of the tournament most of the week. A slew of injuries and swing changes had caused a sharp dropoff in the Canadian’s game since 2009, in which he finished 26th in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup standings. Since that time, however, the 2003 Masters winner had only recorded one top-10 finish on Tour. Weir’s birdies on four of the first five holes briefly moved him into the lead on Sunday before bogeys on Nos. 6 and 9 slowed him down.

“Best golf I played in a long time,” Weir said. “I was happy with the way I played. I was definitely determined to try to win today, but I can feel good about the way I handled things out there.”

Todd put himself in the driver’s seat with birdies at Nos. 9 and 10, which moved him to the eventual winning score of 14-under, although he did keep things interesting over the final holes. On the 185-yard par-3 13th hole, Todd’s tee shot settled at the base of a tree with his only option being to play a shot left handed. The University of Georgia alum proceeded to use the back of a 4 iron to roll the ball within 7 feet of the cup and drained the putt for par.

“I was fortunate to have a bit of room there,” Todd said. “It was 12 inches away from the tree so I took my 4 iron, which is my longest iron in the bag, and hit it the with the back of the club. But I had to hood it a little bit to try and get it to come off to the right, so I hit like a little draw putt with the back of my 4 iron and it ran down there perfect. I didn’t care about where it went. I was just trying to get it away from the tree toward the hole.”

Local boy Jordan Spieth finished with a 68 on Sunday to tie for 37th, his worst finish in five starts. Scottie Scheffler, a 17-year-old from nearby Highland Park, fired a 68 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 22nd in his very first event on the PGA Tour. The reigning U.S. Amatuer Champion will tee it up again on the PGA Tour at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis in two weeks.

Other notables in the top 10 included last year’s Crowne Plaza Invitational winner Boo Weekley (T-5), Dustin Johnson (T-7) and top-10 Machine Matt Kuchar (T-7), who recorded his ninth Top-10 in 13 starts.

Next week the PGA Tour is off to the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club were Weekley will defend his title against a field that includes Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson and new World No. 1-ranked golfer Adam Scott.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.

The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.

GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

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Photos from the 2024 Players Championship

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On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.

We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.

Check out our photos below!

Pullout Albums

 

 

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