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Cromwell - Bubba Watson posted his maiden PGA Tour victory on Sunday, shedding tears of joy on the 18th hole but also taking time salute his parents, especially his father who is battling cancer.
"I want to thank my dad and mom because without them I would be nothing. My dad is battling cancer now. 'Dad I am praying for you. I love you," said a tearful Watson.
Watson, of the US, rallied from six shots behind to get into the playoff then two putted for par on the second playoff hole to beat fellow American Scott Verplank for the win at the Travelers Championship.
Watson, Verplank and Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin went to the playoff after they all finished at 14-under par.
Watson rolled in a three-footer for par on the par-three 16th to clinch the victory then embraced his wife, Angie, and started sobbing.
"For me to get into a playoff after shooting 4-under was unreal, and to somehow make that par putt to win was unreal," said Watson, who had the largest comeback on the tour since Padraig Harrington also came from six back to win the 2007 British Open.
Watson survived a double-bogey on the 17th hole then birdied 18 for a 66 to get into the playoff. Verplank shot a bogey-free 64 and Pavin equalled Watson's 66.
Watson almost won on the first playoff hole, hitting a sand wedge on his approach within an inch of the cup from 128-yards away.
On the second playoff hole, Verplank left his tee shot short of the green missed an eight-foot par putt.
Pavin was knocked out on the first playoff hole after hitting his tee shot just 219 yards and putting his approach into a bunker short of the 18th green. He chipped to within three-feet.
"The playoff was a little disappointing to me," he said. "I kind of popped up a three-wood there and left myself in a pretty precarious spot."
England's Justin Rose had a three-stroke lead coming into Sunday. Rose was coming off his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial.
The 29-year-old Rose stumbled on the back nine to finish with a five-over 75 Sunday.
"It was obviously my tournament to lose," Rose said. "I could have shot one-over par today and won the golf tournament. It's disappointing. It wasn't overly difficult today."
Rose had company as no player in the first three groups made it into the playoff.
Watson ended the Europe's winning streak on the PGA Tour at three. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the big prize last week at the US Open. The Memorial was Rose's first tour win, and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood won the St. Jude Classic.
Leading final-round scores on Sunday from the $6m Travelers Championship (USA unless noted):
266 - x-Bubba Watson 65-68-67-66, Corey Pavin 65-66-69-66, Scott Verplank 67-69-66-64
267 - Chris Riley 68-65-69-65
268 - Ricky Barnes 69-67-64-68, Chad Campbell 67-70-65-66, Retief Goosen (RSA) 68-69-64-67, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 64-71-69-64
269 - Kris Blanks 68-67-67-67, Justin Rose (ENG) 64-62-68-75, Vaughn Taylor 67-65-67-70, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 70-63-67-69
270 - Ben Curtis 65-68-64-73, Rickie Fowler 71-65-68-66, Matt Jones (AUS) 65-67-68-70, Scott McCarron 68-66-66-70, Ryan Moore 68-67-69-66, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 65-66-73-66, Kevin Sutherland 65-65-71-69, Nicholas Thompson 68-70-66-66
Notable others:
271 - Michael Sim (AUS) 68-67-67-69, Charlie Wi (KOR) 64-67-71-69
272 - Stuart Appleby (AUS) 70-67-66-69, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 69-66-68-69
273 - Mathew Goggin (AUS) 64-72-67-70, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 67-68-67-71
275 - Steve Elkington (AUS) 66-67-73-69
276 - Rod Pampling (AUS) 68-68-75-65, Brett Wetterich 71-67-68-70
277 - James Nitties (AUS) 69-68-74-66, Aron Price (AUS) 65-69-69-74
279 - Arjun Atwal (IND) 71-67-69-72, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 66-66-73-74, Jarrod Lyle (AUS) 71-67-71-70
280 - Graham Delaet (CAN) 70-66-75-69
281 - Mark Hensby (AUS) 67-71-71-72
"I want to thank my dad and mom because without them I would be nothing. My dad is battling cancer now. 'Dad I am praying for you. I love you," said a tearful Watson.
Watson, of the US, rallied from six shots behind to get into the playoff then two putted for par on the second playoff hole to beat fellow American Scott Verplank for the win at the Travelers Championship.
Watson, Verplank and Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin went to the playoff after they all finished at 14-under par.
Watson rolled in a three-footer for par on the par-three 16th to clinch the victory then embraced his wife, Angie, and started sobbing.
"For me to get into a playoff after shooting 4-under was unreal, and to somehow make that par putt to win was unreal," said Watson, who had the largest comeback on the tour since Padraig Harrington also came from six back to win the 2007 British Open.
Watson survived a double-bogey on the 17th hole then birdied 18 for a 66 to get into the playoff. Verplank shot a bogey-free 64 and Pavin equalled Watson's 66.
Watson almost won on the first playoff hole, hitting a sand wedge on his approach within an inch of the cup from 128-yards away.
On the second playoff hole, Verplank left his tee shot short of the green missed an eight-foot par putt.
Pavin was knocked out on the first playoff hole after hitting his tee shot just 219 yards and putting his approach into a bunker short of the 18th green. He chipped to within three-feet.
"The playoff was a little disappointing to me," he said. "I kind of popped up a three-wood there and left myself in a pretty precarious spot."
England's Justin Rose had a three-stroke lead coming into Sunday. Rose was coming off his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial.
The 29-year-old Rose stumbled on the back nine to finish with a five-over 75 Sunday.
"It was obviously my tournament to lose," Rose said. "I could have shot one-over par today and won the golf tournament. It's disappointing. It wasn't overly difficult today."
Rose had company as no player in the first three groups made it into the playoff.
Watson ended the Europe's winning streak on the PGA Tour at three. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the big prize last week at the US Open. The Memorial was Rose's first tour win, and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood won the St. Jude Classic.
Leading final-round scores on Sunday from the $6m Travelers Championship (USA unless noted):
266 - x-Bubba Watson 65-68-67-66, Corey Pavin 65-66-69-66, Scott Verplank 67-69-66-64
267 - Chris Riley 68-65-69-65
268 - Ricky Barnes 69-67-64-68, Chad Campbell 67-70-65-66, Retief Goosen (RSA) 68-69-64-67, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 64-71-69-64
269 - Kris Blanks 68-67-67-67, Justin Rose (ENG) 64-62-68-75, Vaughn Taylor 67-65-67-70, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 70-63-67-69
270 - Ben Curtis 65-68-64-73, Rickie Fowler 71-65-68-66, Matt Jones (AUS) 65-67-68-70, Scott McCarron 68-66-66-70, Ryan Moore 68-67-69-66, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 65-66-73-66, Kevin Sutherland 65-65-71-69, Nicholas Thompson 68-70-66-66
Notable others:
271 - Michael Sim (AUS) 68-67-67-69, Charlie Wi (KOR) 64-67-71-69
272 - Stuart Appleby (AUS) 70-67-66-69, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 69-66-68-69
273 - Mathew Goggin (AUS) 64-72-67-70, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 67-68-67-71
275 - Steve Elkington (AUS) 66-67-73-69
276 - Rod Pampling (AUS) 68-68-75-65, Brett Wetterich 71-67-68-70
277 - James Nitties (AUS) 69-68-74-66, Aron Price (AUS) 65-69-69-74
279 - Arjun Atwal (IND) 71-67-69-72, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 66-66-73-74, Jarrod Lyle (AUS) 71-67-71-70
280 - Graham Delaet (CAN) 70-66-75-69
281 - Mark Hensby (AUS) 67-71-71-72
