Bryson DeChambeau Wins Arnold Palmer Invitational

In brutal final day conditions, it was Bryson DeChambeau that came out on top at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, with a final round of one-under-par, enough for a one-shot victory.

Bryson DeChambeau Wins Arnold Palmer Invitational

On a day that saw only seven players shoot level par or better, it was American Bryson DeChambeau who came out on top at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

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Starting the round just one stroke behind of overnight leader, Lee Westwood, DeChambeau soon found himself two shots back of the Englishman, with a bogey at the first.

The margin was soon back to one though, as Westwood’s wayward tee shot on the third led to a scrappy bogey.

DeChambeau then took advantage of his length on the par-5 fourth hole, holing a 30 foot birdie putt to tie things up with Westwood at the top.

The excitement was really ramped up at the signature sixth hole, with DeChambeau smashing his drive an eyewatering 377-yards, a full 168-yards in front of his playing partner.

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The difference in distance didn’t seem to phase Westwood though, as the 47-year-old matched DeChambeau’s birdie to keep the scores level.

However, a messy bogey at following hole, dropped the Englishman back to 10-under-par for the tournament, meaning a one-shot deficit going into the back nine.

Westwood’s final round of 73 was good enough for a runner-up finish. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

DeChambeau’s putting had been superb all day, and a 50-foot par save on the 11th, kept his fragile lead intact, but that was soon extinguished when Westwood holed a monster putt of his own for birdie at the par-5 12th.

The duo now seemed to be locked in a matchplay scenario, and it was Westwood who flinched first, three-putting from the edge of the green for a costly bogey at the 14th.

The duo exchanged pars at the next, before Westwood squandered a great birdie opportunity at the 16th, with his six-foot putt just sliding by the right side of the hole.

With both parring the penultimate hole, DeChambeau would take a one-shot lead up the last. Showing no nerves, the 27-year-old smashed his drive up the centre of the fairway, putting the pressure on his opponent.

Westwood refused to crack though, he too put his drive in the middle of the fairway, but found a divot that hadn’t been replaced.

Related: Should Golfers Get Free Relief From Fairway Divots?

Both men found the green with their second shots and it was left to DeChambeau to deal the killer blow, holing a five-foot putt for his eighth PGA Tour title.

DeChambeau after holing his putt at the 18th. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

After his round, DeChambeau said: “It’s been quite a battle this whole entire time, I don’t even know what to say, to win at Mr Palmer’s event, it’s going to make me cry.

“It means the world to me, I got a text from Tiger this morning and he has obviously had a lot of success here and was very instrumental, just like Mr Palmer was to Tiger, and we just talked about to keep fighting no matter what happens.

“My heart has been heavy with what’s been happening with Tiger and I just kept telling myself: ‘It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, it’s about how many times you get back up,’ I’ve also got to thank Chris Como and Mike Schy, as well as a bunch of others who are behind me, they’ve been really instrumental.”

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