Summary Jim Herman held off top 10 players Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson to win the US PGA Tour title.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Journeyman Jim Herman held off top 10 players Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson to win his first US PGA Tour title at the Houston Open on Sunday and book a Masters berth.
Herman, a 38-year-old who was encouraged by Donald Trump to keep pursuing his PGA Tour dream, had five birdies in a four-under 68 -- including a spectacular chip-in from thick hillside rough at 16 that gave him a one-stroke lead he wouldn t relinquish.
"Sorry for the tears, but I m really happy," Herman told a post-round interviewer having parred the last for the win after an agonizing wait on the 18th tee.
His 15-under total of 273 gave him the narrow triumph over Stenson, the world number seven from Sweden who endured another in a long line of near-misses worldwide since he won the European Tour s season-ending World Tour Championship in 2014.
In a back-and-forth battle, Stenson had briefly taken the lead with a birdie at 13 and was tied for the lead after a birdie at 15.
He had five birdies in a four-under 68 for 274, but narrowly missed an 18-foot birdie attempt at the last that would have at least put him in a playoff.
Herman s victory was his first in 106 starts on the PGA Tour. He was working as a pro at one of Trump s golf courses when the property tycoon turned US presidential hopeful encouraged him to keep pushing his competitive career.
Now he s headed to the first major of the year at Augusta National.
"Never thought it was possible," said Herman, who wears a Trump logo on his shirt.
Johnson, ranked ninth in the world, had six birdies to counter a bogey and a double-bogey in a 69 for 275.
He was one shot in front of Spain s Rafa Cabrera Bello, whose sparkling seven-under 65 included five birdies and an eagle at the par-four 12th -- where his 306-yard tee shot left him a five-foot putt.
For a few moments it looked like Jordan Spieth would mount a challenge as the world number two got off to a hot start in his bid to build momentum heading into his Masters title defence at Augusta National next week.
With renewed rhythm on the greens the 22-year-old Texan birdied five of his first seven holes to charge up the leaderboard, a run that included a 45-footer at the fifth.
But he bogeyed three of his next four, failing to get up and down from the greenside rough at the tough par-three-ninth before poor shots at 11 and 12 -- a second shot to the bank of the water hazard at 11 and a driver into the water at 12 -- cost him two more strokes and after two more birdies he closed with a double-bogey at 18, where he was in the water again.
Spieth signed for a two-under 70 that left him tied for 13th on 280 in a group that also included five-time major winner Phil Mickelson.
