Durant claims Chubb Classic for third Champions win

Joe Durant shot a final-round 5-under 67 on Sunday as he recorded a four-shot victory in the Chubb Classic in Naples, Fla., for his third career Champions Tour victory.

Durant finished at 19-under 197, four shots ahead of Steve Stricker (final-round 70), Billy Mayfair (64), Tim Petrovic (64), David Toms (65) and Lee Janzen (68). Durant had one eagle, five birdies and two bogeys on his final twirl around the Talon Course at TwinEagles Golf Club.

“I was so nervous starting today and it showed on the first three holes,” Durant told the Golf Channel. “I missed some short putts. My goal was just to hang in there. If you can stay around it, you never know what’s going to happen the last three or four holes.”

What happened on the final hole was great for Durant and devastating for Stricker.

Durant owned a one-shot lead as the duo arrived at No. 18. Durant placed his second shot within 15 feet of the hole and drained the ensuing putt for a birdie. Stricker, meanwhile, had his approach shot land in the water en route to a double bogey to fall into the pack of golfers at 5-under 201.

“Not my favorite pin in the world on the right side, and the right-to-left wind, and I tried to hold it off and pushed it a little bit,” Stricker said. “He hit a great shot in there, forced me to try to go right straight at it, and I didn’t pull it off.”

Durant was marveling at his second shot on No. 18 after the round.

“That’s one of the best iron shots I have hit under pressure in a long time,” Durant said after winning for the first time since claiming the 3M Championship in August 2016.

John Daly knocked in a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole for one of his two eagles on the day. He also had four birdies and three bogeys while shooting 67. Daly finished in eighth place, six shots behind Durant.

Stricker had an eagle, three birdies and one bogey in addition to the double bogey.

Mayfair and Petrovic carded eight birdies without a bogey on Sunday. Toms had seven birdies in a bogey-free round, and Janzen had one eagle, four birdies and two bogeys.

–Field Level Media