American Hudson Swafford carded an eventful final round of 64 to win The American Express for the second time in La Quinta.
The American Express leaderboard
-23 Swafford
-21 Hoge
-20 Griffin, Harman, Hodges
-19 McCarthy, Molinari, Zalatoris
The American Express report
American Hudson Swafford carded an eventful final round of 64 to win The American Express for the second time in La Quinta.
Swafford - tipped at 20/1 in Martin Mathews' final round preview - began the day three shots off the lead and fell further behind with a bogey on the first, but bounced back to birdie the second, fifth, sixth and eighth to remain in contention.
The 34-year-old then started the back nine with a hat-trick of birdies and followed a bogey on the 13th with another birdie on the next to lead by two, only to drop another shot on the 15th.
With Brian Harman making a birdie on the 18th and former Open champion Francesco Molinari doing likewise on the 16th there was suddenly a three-way tie for the lead, only for Swafford to hit a superb approach to the par-five 16th to set up an eagle from eight feet.
A birdie on the 17th effectively sealed the win and Swafford made his only par of the back nine on the 18th to finish 23 under par, two shots ahead of compatriot Tom Hoge.
Harman shared third place with Lanto Griffin and Lee Hodges, while Molinari’s bogey on the last meant the Italian had to settle for a closing 68 and a tie for sixth.
Ireland’s Seamus Power began the day just two off the lead but double bogeyed the opening hole and carded a closing 74 to slip into an eight-way tie for 14th in a group which included world number one Jon Rahm.
