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Mahan takes first career title

25/06/2007

Hunter Mahan has won his first career PGA Tour title with victory at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

The 25-year-old, who is in his fourth season as a pro, beat 40-year-old Jay Williamson at the first hole of a play-off after both men finished the tournament on 15 under par.

Mahan sunk a two-foot birdie putt to seal his first win and his second top-ten finish of the 2007 season – his first being a fifth-place finish at the Houston Open in April.

He shot a 65 on the final round, one better than Williamson, to tie with the overnight leader and take it to a play-off.

Australia's Nick O'Hearn finished third on 11-under for the tournament after a final-day 66 while world number three Vijay Singh carded a five-under round of 65 to give himself a chance, but he had left himself too much to do having trailed Williamson by six shots going into the final round.

Americans David Toms and Fred Funk had been in with a chance of victory, trailing the lead by two and three shots, respectively, but both men endured frustrating final rounds which ended any dreams they had of a come-from-behind win.

Toms, third overnight, bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes and carded a double-bogey on the par-four 17th to shoot one-over for the day and finish the tournament on eight-under. Funk fared better, finishing on one-under for the day, but paid dearly for bogeys on the par-three eighth and the final hole to end the tournament in fifth, six shots off the lead.

Englishman Justin Rose was the top European player as he made his third consecutive two-under-par round of 68 to finish tied for ninth on seven-under.

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