PGA Tour: J.B. Holmes wins Shell Houston Open over Jordan Spieth, Johnson Wagner

After a final round 64, J.B. Holmes won his second PGA Tour event of the season at the Shell Houston Open.

J.B. Holmes is dead last in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour, but that didn’t stop him on Sunday at the Shell Houston Open when he shot a final round 64 and defeated Jordan Spieth and Johnson Wagner in a playoff.

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Jordan Spieth has become the face of American golf this year after he had great success on the PGA Tour in 2014 and then shined at the 2014 Ryder Cup with his partner Patrick Reed on an American team that struggled immensely throughout the week. Spieth picked up where left off in 2014 and has won the non-PGA Tour sponsored Hero World Challenge and has now had six top-10 finishes this season putting him at sixth in the world golf rankings at the age of 21.

The Texas-native has been a top-two finisher in his last three PGA Tour events, winning the Valspar Championship, but finishing second in the Valero Texas Open last week and now another second place finish this week in Houston.

Spieth lead the field after Saturday’s round three at 14-under par, but he wasn’t able to close in the final round for the fourth time in his career after having the 54-hole lead.

Instead, it was Kentucky-native J.B. Holmes who won and he got his first PGA Tour victory of the season. Holmes started the fourth round of the Shell Houston Open down six strokes to Spieth at 8-under par. Holmes had an unstoppable round, as he had five birdies on his first five holes and two more on the front nine for a 29. He added another two birdies on the back nine but bogeyed the 16th. This still gave Holmes the lead as he entered the clubhouse nearly two hours before Spieth would finish his round.

Spieth had just three birdies on the round and a bogey to give him a 16-under score after he finished on the 18th, but he joined Holmes in a playoff.

One more golfer also was tied for the lead after his Sunday round. 35-year-old Johnson Wagner, who has three career PGA Tour victories but none since 2012. After Wagner birdied his last hole of his round, he completed his three-under 69 final round, putting him in the playoff.

On the first hole of the playoff, Holmes put it on the green with a chance at birdie while Spieth and Wagner both found the bunker. Spieth was up first but hit a poor shot after a camera went off at the top of his backswing, something he was not happy about and it de-railed his chances at a win and he was eliminated after Wagner and Holmes made par.

On the second playoff hole, Holmes missed a birdie putt to win, but Wagner missed a close par-putt at Holmes was given his first win of the year after he finished second twice already this year.

Spieth and Holmes will play again this week at the first PGA Tour major of the season, the Masters but unfortunately Wagner won’t be given a bid after he needed to win the Shell Houston Open to be able to compete in the Masters.

Even with Jordan Spieth’s second place finish, he’ll be at the forefront for favorites to win the Masters after his six top-10 finishes already this season.

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