Round 4 has officially come and gone and we now know who stood alone at the close of play, hoisting and kissing the famous HP Byron Nelson Championship trophy. It should come as absolutely no surprise that once again at the Byron, scores were extremely tight all the way up to the final putt dropping, this time differentiating itself by ending with the leader 2 strokes ahead of the competition instead of a Playoff being needed, or a 1 stroke finish, as has become the norm for the Byron.
Rory Sabbatini Takes Home First Win in 2 Years
When the dust settled and all of the players had cleared off the course, it was Rory Sabbatini who held on tight to his lead and managed to notch his first Tour victory in 2 years. Sabbatini strung together 4 amazing rounds to take home the top spot, including a Round 1 68, Round 2 64, Round 3 65, and final round 64 to come in at a staggering -19 for the weekend. Wearing a Pink shirt in honor of Amy Mickelson and her new and ongoing struggle with breast cancer, Sabbatini was quick to say that this victory was a bittersweet one in that Amy Mickelson’s news as well as his good friend struggling against Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Here is what he had to say after he kissed the trophy:
“Obviously this tournament is very special…It’s one that I wish I had have been able to win it and look up and see Byron sitting there at the 18th green. … What a wonderful name to be associated with now.”
Sabbatini & Davis Both Played Great
Byron would have been proud of his dominant play, blowing away the last year’s winning score of -7 by twelve strokes. Also playing extremely well but coming up just short was Brian Davis who took home second place and was only two strokes off the lead. He’s still hunting down a championship and his first PGA Tour win, but he played exceptionally well and shot a bogey-free 64 to close out the tournament. Well played.
What Will Happen Next Week at the Colonial?
Congrats go out to Sabbatini for his dominant play this weekend. Let’s see what he can come up with next week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Phil is the defending champion but given his wife’s current and unfortunate situation, the top spot is up for grabs.
(Photo by Marc Feldman/ Getty Images)
