Adam Scott survived the Bear Trap Sunday at the Honda Classic and he was good enough down the stretch to beat Sergio Garcia by a single shot after another difficult week at PGA National.
The tournament came down to a two-man duel over the final four holes and it was Scott who turned out to be the stronger player. Bogeys by Garcia at the 16th and 17th holes spotted the tall Aussie a two-shot lead going to the 18th hole. He played conservatively, got an easy par and won by a shot after Garcia holed a 14-foot birdie putt to come up one stroke short.
It was Scott’s first PGA Tour win since the 2014 Colonial when he was the world’s No. 1 player. He also became the first player on the regular tour to move from the long, anchored putter, to a short, conventional putter and win. “I hit a lot of good putts,” Scott said of his new conventional style. “This is a tough tract,” he said of PGA National’s Champions course. “I got off to a good start with the birdie at one, a dream start to set the pace. Things got tough out there at times but that’s expected.”
Scott hit a great approach from a fairway bunker within two feet at the 12th hole and that birdie seemed to give him the momentum he needed. It got him to 10-under par and it gave him the cushion over Garcia he was looking for. He lost only one shot at the Bear Trap holes when he three-putted the 16th. It didn’t hurt him as Garcia’s sloppy ball-striking led to bogeys at 16 and 17.
It was enough to let Scott play 18 as a three-shot hole.
“It was tough,” Garcia conceded afterward. “Real difficult golf course. He (Scott) deserved it. I hung in there. Proud of the way I played. My swing is not where I want it yet. It’s never easy. I gave it my all.”
Scott finished with an even-par 70 to finish the day where he started, nine-under. Garcia was a shot higher, 71.
It was Scott’s 12th PGA Tour win and Garcia’s 15th career runner up.
It was a huge day and a bigger week for second-year pro Blayne Barber. His even-par 70 earned him a tie for third with Justin Thomas (69) and it was Barber’s best-ever finish on the PGA Tour.
