Tiger makes charge, but Casey wins at Valspar

Paul Casey had been in the clubhouse for nearly 75 minutes on Sunday when Tiger Woods lined up a putt on 18, seeking to force a playoff.

Casey didn’t have to find the golf bag and head back out to the course as Woods’ 39-foot birdie putt fell about two feet short to give Casey his first PGA win since 2009.

The Englishman fired a 6-under 65 on Sunday to finish at 10-under 274 and win the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor, Fla., for his second career tour win.

Woods shot a final-round 70 to come oh-so-close to that first tour victory since the 2013 WGC Bridgestone Invitational. He had two birdies and one bogey on Sunday.

“I had a good shot at winning the tournament,” Woods said in a post-round interview on CBS. “A couple putts here and there, and it could’ve been a different story.”

Patrick Reed shot a 68 and also finished one shot behind Casey. He was in position to be a part of the playoff until a disastrous birdie putt on 18.

Reed left the putt well short of the hole and it rolled down the incline back toward him. It kept rolling, and rolling, and rolling right back to where it started.

Reed’s next shot fell less than a foot short, and he tapped it in for a bogey to finished tied for second with Woods.

“I just didn’t hit it hard enough, obviously,” said Reed, who had an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys in the final round. “Absolutely killed it and the ball rolled back down to where it was. I knew there was no way I could putt it. It had to be a chip. I chipped and ended up there to 6 inches and tap-in.”

Spaniard Sergio Garcia shot 65 to finish fourth, two shots behind Casey. South African Rory Sabbatini (69) and England’s Justin Rose (72) tied for fifth at 277.

Casey, who had seven birdies and one bogey on Sunday, said a close friend’s wife recently died and that provided extra motivation.

“I played with a heavy heart, maybe that was the difference,” Casey said.

Another big factor was that Casey only needed 21 putts in the final round.

“Very rewarding to have a good putting Sunday,” Casey said. “It’s the thing that’s been holding me back and the frustrating thing for a couple of years.

“Although they weren’t long putts, the putts on all three, par putts on 16, 17 and 18, were tricky little things, right to left, dead straight and then left to right. I sent them all beautifully, right line and speed. I haven’t done that in an awful long time.”

Casey’s other PGA victory came in the 2009 Shell Houston Open.