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Hudson Swafford's late rally produces victory in CareerBuilder Challenge
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Hudson Swafford, with birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes on Sunday, emerged from a hungry pack to win the CareerBuilder Challenge on the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif., his first PGA Tour victory.
"This is a dream come true," he said.
Swafford, 29 and in his fourth year on tour, had not finished better than a tie for eighth in 92 previous starts. His final-round of five-under par 67 gave him a 72-hole score of 20-under 268, one strokes ahead of Canada's Adam Hadwin and two ahead of Bud Cauley and Brian Harman.
On the par-5 16th hole, Swafford hit the green in two and two-putted from 12 feet for birdie to take a one-stroke lead over Cauley, who was seeking his first PGA Tour victory, and Harman. On the par-3 17th hole, featuring an island green, he hit an 8-iron to a foot of the hole, leaving a tap-in birdie that momentarily gave him a two-stroke lead.
Moments later, Hadwin, who shot 59 at La Quinta Country Club in the third round on Saturday, holed a 25-foot birdie putt to get within one of Swafford. Hadwin also was in pursuit of his first PGA Tour victory.
Chad Campbell, who last won in 2007, saw his bid splash down right of the island green at the 17th hole. Campbell led by three strokes early on the front nine, but lost the lead with a triple bogey on the sixth hole.
Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, finished with a two-under 70 and a tie for 11th in his first strart of the year following two hernia surgeries in the off-season. He will play again this week in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.