Chris Kirk champion at Colonial

Chris Kirk won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Chris Kirk wins Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Chris Kirk wins Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Chris Kirk holed a seven-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial by a single shot and claim his fourth PGA Tour title.

Chris Kirk holed a seven-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial by a single shot and claim his fourth PGA Tour title.

Jason Bohn set the clubhouse lead at Colonial with an excellent final round of 63. His four-round total of 11-under-par was then matched by Jordan Spieth who closed with a 65.

Kirk came to the 72nd hole at 12-under-par with his playing partner Brandt Snedeker one stroke behind. When Kirk hooked his drive into the left rough, both Spieth and Bohn thought a playoff might be on the cards.

Extra holes looked even more of a possibility when Kirk’s second went through the back of the green. He played a good pitch though and left himself with a testing par putt.

Snedeker had a birdie effort from some 12 feet to reach 12-under but it narrowly missed, then Kirk stood up to his effort for par and the victory. Showing nerves of steel he rolled it home and the title was his.

"My first three wins on Tour have all been little tap-ins on the last hole," Kirk said. "So to step up and make a putt that I knew was to win is something I'll never forget."

Local boy Spieth was left to rue a poor second round of 73.

“I wanted to give them something to cheer about,” said The Masters champion. “The second round set me back.”

54-hole leader Kevin Na fired a disappointing final round of 72 and ended the week in a tie for 10th place.

England’s Ian Poulter couldn’t get it going on Sunday and a final round of 70 saw him finish in a tie for fifth place.

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas May 21-24 Purse: $6,500,000, par 70

1    Chris Kirk (USA)        68    69    65    66    268    $1,170,000 T2    Jason Bohn (USA)    69    69    68    63    269    $485,333 T2    Brandt Snedeker (USA)    67    69    66    67    269    $485,333 T2    Jordan Spieth (USA)    64    73    67    65    269    $485,333 T5    Adam Hadwin (Can)    69    66    69    66    270    $220,350 T5    Kevin Kisner (USA)    67    69    67    67    270    $220,350 T5    George McNeill (USA)    65    69    69    67    270    $220,350 T5    Pat Perez (USA)        69    69    68    64    270    $220,350 T5    Ian Poulter (Eng)        65    67    68    70    270    $220,350

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly. 

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?