'Patient' Kokrak fends off Spieth despite late slip

WASHINGTON • Jason Kokrak held off Texan Jordan Spieth down the final holes to win the PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge by two strokes on Sunday.

The 36-year-old fired a even-par 70 in the final round to finish on 14-under 266 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kokrak stumbled with bogeys at the par-four 15th and par-three 16th but closed with back-to-back pars to deny fellow American Spieth, who had ended a four-year win drought at the Texas Open in April.

"They (the crowd) were definitely rooting for the guy next to me," he said of Spieth, who hails from nearby Dallas.

"We had a little ebb and flow. Grinded it out. Kept patient. Didn't finish the way I wanted to but got the win.

"I don't know if it motivated me or not but I told myself like the last time - just stay patient, one shot at a time.

"That sounds like everybody else, but you know, you can't get ahead of yourself in this game.

"This game doesn't owe you anything, and you know, you take each shot for what it is, whether you make a bogey or a par or a birdie."

Kokrak, who won his first PGA title last October at the CJ Cup, became this season's third multiple winner after fellow Americans - US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and 2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink.

Spieth, a three-time Major winner who won at Colonial in 2016, had cheers but stumbled to a final-round 73 on a course where only silence greeted players last year.

The event, which began in 2019 under its current sponsorship, was the first played last year after a three-month Covid-19 hiatus and fans were not allowed.

Spieth rued his final round that saw him record five bogeys and just two birdies.

"I didn't play well at all, quite simply," the 27-year-old said.

"I could have shot even par today and won the golf tournament but from the very get-go, just a really bad start, and then tried to fight my way through it.

Players have won multiple titles on the PGA Tour this season - Jason Kokrak (photo), Bryson DeChambeau and Stewart Cink.

"But I was just really off with my golf swing. I really lost it this weekend.

"You just have to be in control around Colonial. That's all it was. I played a bad round of golf."

Charley Hoffman shot a 65 to finish in a four-way tie for third at 10 under, alongside fellow American Patton Kizzire (67), Colombia's Sebastian Munoz (68) and England's Ian Poulter (68).

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS