FORT WORTH -- Jordan Spieth found the perfect cure for his Masters misery.
With an impressive back nine at Colonial, Spieth won at home in Texas for the first time on the PGA Tour. He had three consecutive birdies after making the turn, and three more in a row to finish his 5-under 65 on Sunday, including a chip-in birdie from behind the 17th green after a fortunate bounce off a marshal.
"In our third tournament back, to come back and close this one out the way we did is really, really special," Spieth said. "This day is a moment that'll go down, no matter what happens in the next 30 years of my career, this will be one of the most important days that I've ever had."
Spieth, the No. 2 player in the world, punctuated his eighth career victory with a 34-foot birdie putt on No. 18 when he needed only a bogey to win the Dean & Deluca Invitational.
At 17-under 263, Spieth finished three strokes ahead of Harris English (66). Colonial member Ryan Palmer and Webb Simpson tied for third at 13 under, both shooting 68 in the final group with Spieth.
First-round leader Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 1-under 69 on Sunday and finished in a tie for eighth at 8 under to win $167,500.
Last month at Augusta, Spieth blew a five-stroke lead on the back nine when trying to win the Masters for the second year in a row. There was then an extended break before he missed the cut at The Players Championship and then finished tied for 18th a week ago at the Byron Nelson before winning in his home state after three runner-up finishes there, including Colonial last year.
"The significance of it happening now ... because I wasn't sure how long it would take to get over the hurdle of having to come in to every single interview room, having to listen to crowds only talk about what happened a month ago," he said. "And it's very difficult, and I'm 22. It's not like I hadn't won, and we've won two majors."
He is the reigning U.S. Open champion, and will be trying to defend that title at Oakmont in three weeks.
Spieth started Sunday at Hogan's Alley with nine consecutive pars, including a 32-footer at the par-3 eighth after hitting his first shot into heavy rough.
"The nerves hit me more than I think they should have or normally would just from the start of the round today, and that's probably it," he said, referring to Masters.
There was also the guy in the gallery at No. 10 that yelled out "Remember the Masters, Jordan" and other similar comments. Spieth wasn't sure if they were positive or negative reminders, but they certainly provided some motivation.
Spieth made a curling 20-foot birdie at the 10th before two short birdies, then hit a wayward tee shot at the 192-yard 13th, almost immediately pointing his 7-iron to the left and shouting "Fore!" He yanked his ball out of the bunker over the green before a chip to inside 3 feet for a bogey.
Then at 14, after hitting his drive into a fairway bunker and shouting after his approach came up short of the green, he saved par with a 14-footer that rolled just to the right edge before falling into the cup.
Spieth made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, but followed that by hitting a wayward tee shot at the 17th.
The ball ricocheted off the lower leg of a marshal and avoided going into much heavier rough. Spieth signed a glove "Thanks" to the marshal, but his approach from 173 yards sailed over the green before he chipped in after relief because it landed against a temporary grandstand.
"One of the luckiest holes I've ever had personally. I hit a guy on the side on the tee ball that goes into the first cut, and then I get that drop and then chip in," he said. "If I'm anyone playing against me, I'd be pretty upset at that."
Spieth, two months short of his 23rd birthday, broke a tie with Tiger Woods for victories at age 22 or younger. The only player with more that young was Horton Smith with 14 from 1928-1930.
The $1.2 million first-place check increased Spieth's career earnings to more than $24 million on the PGA Tour. And now, he has a plaid jacket to go with the green one from the Masters,
Sports on 05/30/2016