Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A21
SPORTS Monday 24 april 2017

Continued from pae 17 Koepka let a scoring op- feet on the seventh green
portunity get away at the and knocked in one from
Brian Gay (70), Sung Kang 14th, a reachable par-5 10 feet at the eighth to tie
(68), Ryan Palmer (71) and at 567 yards. He tagged Chappell.
Cameron Smith (71) were a 328-yard drive, but he But while Chappell stuck
tied for sixth at 7-under, five found the rough and failed his tee shot on the 189-yard
shots behind Chappell. to get to the green with seventh inside five feet
Koepka, trailing Chappell his second shot, and then and made birdie to get to
by a shot coming up the missed a 4-foot birdie putt. 10-under, Koepka would
18th, took a 3-iron out of his About 45 minutes later, make bogey even after hit-
bag and considered tak- Chappell came to the hole ting the green at the tough
ing a crack at reaching the and sent his second shot par-4 ninth. He left his putt
606-yard par-5 in two. But 221 yards, about pin high from 42 feet well short and
he had 293 yards left with on the green. Even though missed the 9-foot par putt
a slight uphill shot into the he lipped out the 11-foot he had remaining. Kevin Chappell gets a hug from his caddy, Joe Greiner, after
wind with a creek fronting eagle, his tap-in birdie It gave Chappell a two- sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Valero Texas
the green. gave him two strokes over shot lead with nine holes to Open golf tournament Sunday, April 23, 2017, in San Antonio.
He put the club back in his Koepka. Chappell gave play.q Associated Press
bag and laid up to create Koepka new life when he
a 90-wedge approach. He bogeyed from a greenside
stuck that to about three bunker at the 15th, and it
feet and made the birdie took until the 18th for Ko-
to go into the clubhouse epka to finally equalize.
tied with Chappell. Gay, who made it into the
Chappell had almost the field thanks to a 27-event
same distance for his ap- medical exemption due
proach on 18, and he land- to thumb surgery, earned
ed it past the hole to set up enough money to make
the winning putt. good on the exemption
Finau closed with birdies and regain full status on
on four of five holes com- the Tour.
ing to the 17th. He was Chappell had a one-shot
just a shot behind Chap- advantage over first-round
pell’s lead, but he parred leader Branden Grace and
there and drove next to a John Huh entering the day,
cactus bush on the 18th. the first time he has led
He punched out to the after 54 holes on the PGA
fairway, removed cactus Tour. Koepka, who won
needles from his leg, then two years back at Phoenix,
put his approach into the was four back and had 10
creek. He took a penalty players between him and
drop, and his bogey end- the lead.
ed his chances. But Koepka made the
Chappell clung to a one- charge with birdies on his
shot lead after Koepka opening two holes, then a
birdied No. 11 with a 23- streak of three more start-
foot putt and another one ing with a 20-foot birdie
at the next hole putting in- putt at No. 6. He followed
side seven feet. with birdie of almost 40